Unbreakable Connection
by Puja723
Summary: Collabed with Kiyamasho. Destinies intertwine as the fate of Kingdom Hearts is on the brink of dwindling into darkness. King Mickey puts all his faith in his most trusted human knight to guard Master Eraqus's daughter. Unbeknownst to them their fates will cause everything to go awry as Master Xehanort reveals his true intentions. Will they prevail or will Kingdom Hearts be lost?
1. Starlit Sky

**Unbreakable Connection**

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**Well here's my first legit Kingdom Hearts fan-fic. Collabed with an awesome-tastic fan-fic writer, Kiyamasho! Dream Drop Distance... what the hell did you do to my feels?! This fic's timeline is set from Birth By Sleep and it will go up until Dream Drop Distance. So basically this fic will probably be done when KH 3 comes out. Yes, this fic will have OC love interests as well as all your glorious canon pairings from the game...maybe some yaoi-ness in the form of bro-mance. So sit back and enjoy the first chapter everyone!**

**Disclaimer - Kingdom Hearts is copyrighted by Square-Enix and Disney. **

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Chapter 1: Starlit Sky

She ran across the empty darkened streets of a deserted city. Strange pale creatures pursued the exhausted girl. They chased her throughout the barren girl's heart leapt with fear as the swarm of pale creatures surrounded her, their thin bodies swaying back and forth. These creatures weren't unversed or the heartless she heard so much about while stumbling into this strange world in search of her guardian. She had come across a giant conglomerate belonging to the lair of a heart snatching group known as Organization 13. The girl desperately attempted to materialize her keyblade, but the powerful weapon used to slay creatures such as these didn't come to her aid. Her brown eyes gazed at the white creatures as they lunged at her. Defensively she threw her arms over her face and shut her eyes tightly waiting to crash into the empty street.

After several seconds the girl wearily opened her eyes. She saw someone wearing a black coat. Their face was hidden with a hood. The girl looked around seeing those strange creatures were no more. She saw a familiar weapon the person held tightly in their hand. A keyblade...

The stranger turned and faced her taking off their hood. The girl let out a nervous gasp. He looked just like him...

She whispered something...The word slowly ushered out of her mouth.

A name... A name that hadn't been spoken in years...

This moment weighed heavy on her heart as she grasped the star-shaped necklace tightly against her fingers. Her head becoming light-headed as she closed her eyes and allowed darkness to consume her...

When did this madness begin? Was it all those years ago...

The light fading into darkness...

Darkness growing stronger...

Kingdom Hearts...

* * *

**-Ten Years Ago-**

Light and darkness were aligned together in the night sky. The stars were shining brightly amidst the void. The tiny fragments of light in the sky seemed as if they were watching this mountainous world. This world was known as a Land of Departure - a world set in between the lanes of light of darkness; filled with grassy mountains surrounded by flowing waterfalls. There was a large building resonating in this world - a castle - the building itself decreases in width as it reaches the ground, tall spires protruding from the roof. Two lengths of golden chain connect the castle to twin peaks in the shapes of adjacent clock towers. A circular stained glass window was perched on the center of the castle; allowing the sunlight to seep into the rooms in the day. This world gave the easiest access to the residents to travel to the many other worlds around them.

A boy sat on his bed inside his room, his blue eyes gazing at the ceiling without a care in the world. Brushing his blonde hair out of his face with his hand he sighed.

'_Tomorrow's the Mark of Mastery exam... I wonder why Master Eraqus won't let me take i_t.' He thought. _'I've been training just as hard as Terra and Aqua... I want to be a Keyblade Master too..._' The boy's thoughts were interrupted as something caught his eye by the window.

"A shooting star..." He said eagerly. His face was suddenly glued to the window pane as he saw shooting star after shooting star the boy's lips curved into an excited smile. "A meteor shower!" Quickly jumping out of bed, the boy dashed out of his room to see the shooting stars up close. Racing passed the library he didn't even notice a girl about his age putting books away along with Master Eraqus. Zooming down the steps he ran passed two other people, the boy eagerly ran outside.

"Ven!" A girl's voice shouted, but fell on deaf ears. "Wonder what's got him so excited.." She mused to herself. She wiped the sweat from her turquoise brow holding a keyblade in her hand. She had been training all day for tomorrow's Mark of Mastery exam. An exam that tests a person's heart and allows them to become a keyblade master. Her blue eyes fell on the stained glass window and saw the same set of falling star that Ven had seen. She looked over towards another boy who was too focussed on his training to notice the meteor shower.

"Terra!" The girl called out to him.

Fumbling with his keyblade at the sound of the girl's voice. He glanced at her. "I'm a little busy Aqua.." He told her quickly grabbing his keyblade with both hands before it hit the ground.

" You've been training all day," Aqua replied. "Your body needs a break."  
"But the exam is tomorrow!" Terra protested. "I _need _to be a keyblade master."

"We all do...," Aqua sighed shaking her head. There was no way talking Terra out of training. No matter how many times she tried. "Well I'm going to make sure Ven's ok out there."

"I'll meet up with you later..." Terra simply replied and continued to focus on his training.

* * *

Finally reaching the top of the mountain, Ven panted catching his breath. He looked up at all the stars twinkling brightly like little lanterns. He sat on the grassy mountain for what appeared to be hours and then slowly dozed off to sleep. Opening his eyes, Ven jumped as he saw Aqua's face.

Aqua let out a chortle laugh at her friend. "Ven, you hopeless sleepy-head."

Ven rubbed the back of his head, "Gimme a break Aqua - Oof!" Ven suddenly fell flat on his face into the grass. He felt the weight of someone on him.

"Is that how you do a sneak attack?" A girl's voice chirped; her brown eyes gleaming towards Aqua's direction.

Aqua hid a laugh, "Not quite, you aren't supposed to tackle your enemies like that, Levina." and smiled, "But you're getting the hang of it."

"Not again...," Ven groaned. "Can't you use someone else to tackle?"

Getting off the boy Levina smiled, "But your an easy target Ven," She told him. "You're always so sleepy... it's perfect for somebody to sneak up on you." She then shrugged running her fingers through her black hair. "Well at least you're a lot better off than you were before..."

Ven blinked. "What...are you talking about?" He asked. He couldn't remember his earlier days of being in this realm. It was all just a blur to him.

Levina giggled lightly. "You used to be such a zombie before. You were always in your room fast asleep. There were even times when Aqua had to spoon feed you food, especially her tasty cakes." She told Ven as he stared blankly trying to make sense of what she said.

Aqua smiled. "I just wish I could get Terra to eat my cakes..." She sighed. "I guess he doesn't like sweets too much. Unlike Master Eraqus, who loves my strawberry shortcakes."

Getting comfortable, Levina unfastened the hooks to her navy colored cape draping it over her shoulders. "It sure is cold out here..." She then looked up at the stars. "Wow...," She cooed. "They're so pretty..."

"I wonder what stars are..." Ven thought curiously.

"They say every star up there is a different world shining down on us like a million lanterns."

Aqua instantly recognized the voice and smiled softly as she saw Terra leisurely walking towards them.

"That's deep," Levina said. "Spoken like a true keyblade master!"

"I don't get it..." Ven pouted.

"In other words, stars are just like you Ven." Terra told the younger boy.

"I still don't get it." Ven said scratching his head in confusion and then looked at Terra. "Stop treating me like a little kid!" He whined.

Watching the two boys Aqua burst into a soft laughter. Levina watched as the maiden next to her laughed. "Are you ok, Aqua?" She asked.

"What's so funny?" Terra demanded.

Clearing her throat Aqua replied, "You and Ven. You two would make the weirdest brothers."

"Huh?" Ven pondered.

Terra half smiled retorting, "Oh yeah what about you and the Master's daughter," He told the blue-haired girl. "You two are always off together training and spending quality time."

"Well," Aqua began. "Levina needs to learn how to use the keyblade too. She just started getting the hang of making her keyblade appear and she can't spend all her time with you two boys. Master Eraqus wouldn't want his only daughter to be influenced by you two."

"We aren't that bad of an influence," Ven said defensively and looked at Terra. "Are we?"

Levina laughed at Ven's innocent nature. He always like this. Curious, happy, and playful. Almost child-like. There was no sign of anger or hatred inside of him at all. "I'm glad Aqua's been training me," She told her friends. "I want to be able to take the test like you one day," She then sighed, "But with the way my dad is towards me...I doubt he'll ever allow me to take the test..."

Ven looked at Levina's disappointed face. "I can't take the test either.." A cheerful smile spread across his face. "Maybe we can prove to Master Eraqus by going to other worlds and show him what we can do." He told his friend brightly. "You're dad will have to let us take the test for sure after seeing all the good that we're able to do in other worlds!"

"But the Master forbids you to go to the outside worlds Ven." Aqua reminded the boy putting a dent in his well thought out plan.

"Guess we'll be stuck here for a while..." Levina sighed in dismay.

The four of them remained outside for the duration of the night. Gazing up at the stars shining above the, Aqua suddenly took out something from her pocket. Star-shaped necklaces. One for each of her friends and herself. "Tomorrow's the Mark of Master exam. I made us good luck charms." Aqua tossed each of her friends the good luck charms.

"They look just like stars!" Ven eagerly said holding out his green good luck charm.

"Or like flower petals, but they are pretty!" Levina added happily gazing down at her yellow trinket.

"Oi, sometimes you can be such a girl." Terra teased as he stared into the orange star-shaped charm in his hand.

"Hey what do you mean _sometimes_?!" Aqua asked in a slightly angry tone. She then smiled at her blue star-shaped charm. "Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit…and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry these good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other." She held out her good luck charm and everyone followed Aqua's example. "Technically you're supposed to use sea shells, but I did the best with what I had. I even casted a special spell on these charms, so that no matter where we are, we'll always be together. I call them wayfinders."

Terra stared at the wayfinder curiously for a moment before saying teasingly, "I suppose this isn't too girly for me to wear." He laughed at the glare the blue haired girl gave him before slipping it into his pocket.

Levina held hers close to her chest and said softly, "I guess now we'll be connected forever...no matter what happens."

"No matter what." echoed Ven as he held his wayfinder tightly.

"Friends forever." said Aqua firmly and the four of them stared warmly at each other.

Time seemed to stop as the four friends enjoyed each others company. Days like this were not rare , but they decided to stick by each other always.

"We should head back inside," Aqua told her friends. "Terra and I need to get enough rest for the test tomorrow..." Her words trailed off when a glimpse of darkness caught her eye near a small flower glade. The darkness immediately engulfed the flowers making them wither away and die.

"M-My flowers!" Levina shrieked spotting the darkness closing in on the flowers she had planted. "The darkness..." She and her friends closely observed the patches of darkness surrounding the tiny glade of flowers. An aggravated groan escaped her lips as she instantaneously knew who destroyed her flowers with the darkness. "Looks like my Dad invited Master Xehanort to stay too." Touching her temples gently Levina sighed. "I know he's my Dad's best and oldest friend...They're like brothers... but..," She confessed to her friends. "Before any one of you were brought here by my father, Master Xehanort would always be in the library researching on the darkness and the heart. Doesn't that come off as a little creepy to you?"

"Master Xehanort isn't creepy!" Terra retorted in defense. "He knows how to control the darkness better than anyone we know! I'll bet he's just doing all that research to keep the light safe! He's a gifted keyblade Master. It would be incredible to control the darkness like he does."

"So then why is he here?" Ven asked curiously.

"For the test," Aqua assumed. "He's probably here to watch us take the Mark of Mastery test."

"Great...," Terra sighed nervously. "More pressure..."

"Don't be so down yourself Terra, you've trained just as hard as I did." Aqua smiled warmly at her friend. "You'll do fine."

Terra studied Aqua's face closely while looking down at his wayfinder thinking, _'Even if we didn't have these, our connection will never break_.' He saw a nervous sweat run down Aqua's face. 'L_ooks like Aqua's also worried about the exam..._' He then held out his hand making his keyblade appear. "How about it? One last sparring session before the exam!" Terra declared gripping his keyblade tightly.

Hearing this Ven almost leapt for joy kicking his feet off the ground making his keyblade appear holding it backwards in his left hand.

"Ven...," Levina sighed almost face palming. "You're not supposed to hold the keyblade like that." Levina told him. She then looked at Aqua's direction. "Right?"

Aqua smiled softly and replied, "A keyblade wielder's first rule in battle is how a wielder chooses to hold their weapon. If you can't hold your weapon properly, you won't be able to use it in battle."

"Yeah, we're allowed to bend the rules once in a while!" Ven said cheerfully continuing to hold his keyblade the 'incorrect' way. "This is how I feel comfortable holding it." He then faced Terra gleefully. "I'll be your sparring partner! Just don't go easy on me."

"Alright then," Terra replied getting into a fighting stance. "Show me what you've got Ven!"

Ven kicked off the ground. His keyblade was fast but light. Their physique suffered a gap too, and right now, Terra far surpassed Ven. Ven lashed his keyblade out in front of Terra and from the corner of his eye the older youth noticed Aqua and Levina; the two girls were quietly snickering while watching the fight.

Lightly squeezing his fist in frustration Terra thought, _'Why are they laughing? Am I that weak? Tomorrow's the test and I'll have to face Aqua in battle_ – ' His thoughts were interrupted as Ven rolled out of the way of Terra's keyblade swing sneaking up behind him. Terra saw this and immediately blocked Ven's keyblade with his own. '_Not only that, but we'll have to seriously give it our all.' _ Thrusting his keyblade with full force, Ven was sent flying into the grass.

Ven cried out lightly in pain as he hit the grassy plain hard.

"You've still got a long way to go." Terra told his friend holding out a helping hand.

"I do not!" Ven yelled brushing the dirt off of himself. He then noticed Aqua holding her keyblade ready to fight.

_'Does she really mean for us to cross keyblades right here and now?' _Terra nervously thought holding his breath.

"Let's go Ven!" Aqua said to the smaller boy.

A tinge of relief struck Terra's heart as he exhaled. However, there was some part of him that was also disappointed that Aqua didn't choose him to spar with. He noticed Levina behind him holding her keyblade in an inward fighting stance.

"I'll be your sparring partner Terra." She said to him. "I need all the practice I can get."

Terra smiled to himself. '_This shouldn't take long; she's just learning how to fight. This is going to be easy._'

Ven broke into a run boasting, "This time I won't lose!"

The two younger keyblade wielders were no match for the older students. Just like before, Ven couldn't win against Aqua. She nimbly dodged his blows, and shot small bursts of magic at him. The match was decided in an instant. Ven tripped over trying to dodge a fireball that hit him anyway. Levina struggled to keep up with Terra's speed, giving the older boy the advantage he needed and sent the girl tumbling down into the grass.

"Guess I still need more practice…" Levina sighed while lying in the grass staring at the star-filled sky. A small smile touched her lips as she held her wayfinder up to the sky, not caring that she had lost the match against Terra.

"Are you ok?!" Aqua asked quickly hurrying over to help Ven.

Ven got up on his own without any assistance from the female keyblade wielder. "That didn't count!" He pouted. "One more time!"

"There's a gap in ability here," Terra called over as he laughed at Ven.

"Nooo!" Ven whined. "I just tripped!"

"That still means she won," Terra said, and Ven put his keyblade away with a little exhale and smiled. "You two are strong enough. You guys are going to kick that test's ass tomorrow for sure." He told Aqua and Terra.

"Yeah!" Levina agreed getting up off the ground making her keyblade vanish. "My Dad will definitely give you your master privileges tomorrow! I know it!"

"Well, that'd be nice," said Terra, and Aqua also put her Keyblade away, a mixed expression unfolding on her face.

"I just wish we could take the test…" Ven sighed sadly.

"Well Master Eraqus did say awaken the ability of the heart and…" Aqua trailed off and thought for a moment, '_It's a question of heart. To be a Keyblade Master, it's not strength that is called for, it's heart—goodness and justness, I think it would be fair to say. But…' _She then looked at Ven again smiling gently, "If you decide for yourself that you've grown enough, then you need to take another look inside your heart, Ven. Losing a match because you tripped yourself over is just being spacey."

"That is so mean, Aqua!" Ven pouted in return as Aqua laughed.

'_But… Aqua's words could just as well have been directed at me,' _Terra thought with a twinge. _I'm… my heart is…_' Trying to shake off his worries, Terra looked up at the starry sky. '_All those twinkling stars. Those lights are the lights of people's hearts. I'll be okay.'_

Terra smiled looking at the star-lit sky. "Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about!" He said proudly.

"Well you aren't the only one." Aqua told him.

Terra smiled replying, "I know, you, me, Ven, and Levina all share the same dream."

"Hey, we should head back," Terra pressed his two friends, and he started walking.

Ven nodded, and followed after Terra. "Yeah. Let's head back."

"It's a good thing Dad didn't see me sparring or else I'd never hear the end of one of his safety lectures." Levina said trailing next to Aqua.

"Yeah—let's go together," Aqua answered, turning to follow after the two of them. She stopped, and looked up at the night sky. In her hand was her wayfinder.

Terra, Levina, and Ven stopped too, and looked up at the night sky.

Shooting stars were streaking down again.

"Let's watch the night sky for shooting stars again someday, the four of us together." They said in unison clinging to their good luck charms.

Aqua then looked at her friends. "Let's go."

The four friends departed back to the castle under the twinkling starlit night sky with the same thoughts running through their minds.

* * *

An old man was looking up at the sky. The night-darkened wasteland was empty save for the wind. The sky, however, was filled with thousands and thousands of stars. One of those stars seemed to glow brighter than all the rest, and then it slid through the sky, falling.

The old man had already known that tonight there would be falling stars. On each star dwelled a world. Stars falling meant the worlds were changing.

"Vanitas—are your preparations complete?"

A boy stood next to the old man. The boy, Vanitas, was also looking up at the shooting stars. His hair was as jet black as the darkness of night.

The old man clapped Vanitas on the shoulder. "We'll be up early tomorrow, so go take a short rest."

A small twitch of anger took residence in Vanitas' eyes hearing the sound of remorse coming from the elderly man. It was like pity to him. "You know I don't give a damn about going without sleep for a day or two." He grinned.

The old man—Master Xehanort—also smiled. "Our story begins now, Vanitas."

"Story…? Piece of cake," Vanitas answered, putting on the mask he'd been holding to his side before looking back up at the stars. The old man scoffed.

Stars streaked across the sky.

One—two, three, four…

* * *

In the darkness, with furious waves attempting to suck him under, Mickey was riding on a book of magic. As an apprentice of the great sorcerer Yen Sid—no, as one trying to become a Keyblade Master, his training was a difficult and harsh journey lasting many days.

On top of that, Mickey was by no means what one would call an excellent apprentice.

Suddenly the waves began to surge from the opposite side, and Mickey was thrown off the book.

_'I'm going to drown…!_'He thought urgently, and in that instant he was standing on the floor like normal.

Yen Sid, the grand sorcerer, and also Mickey's teacher, glared at Mickey with a glint of panic in his eyes. Mickey stood scratching his head, waiting for Yen Sid to speak…

"Mickey. It appears we are on the brink of something dire…" The old sorcerer spoke.

Mickey hadn't been expecting that. '_What on earth does he mean something dire?' _The mouse thought curiously gazing at the window with his Master.

The starry sky that connected all the worlds could be seen from the window of the solemn tower that served as training grounds. Of the stars in that sky, a few stood out in how bright they shone… four of them, in fact.

* * *

**Something dire indeed... Hope everyone was in-character for the most part. This fic will definately not derive from the main plot of the game just because of OC inserts! **

**Some of the information you're reading is taken from the KH novels; such as Aqua being able to cook and she spoon-fed Ven when he was brought to the Land of Departure and also Eraqus's affinity towards strawberries, I consider the information from the novels as cannon :D **

**Don't expect fast updates any time soon, but we'll try our best! Ugh writing as Xehanort is going to be such a hassle for me... I hate him so much! :D Review **


	2. Mark of Mastery

**Thought you guys had to wait forever for this chapter! There is a minor Dream Drop Distance spoiler in this chapter, but for those of you who have played the game, you'll be able to spot it. It's a really teeny spoiler! **

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Chapter 2 – Mark of Mastery

Mickey looked at the former Keyblade Master quizzically. "What do ya mean?" He asked concerned. "Are the worlds really in danger?"

Stroking his long beard, Yen Sid nodded silently, "I do not know what sort of affliction will endanger the worlds, Mickey," He answered. "However, I can sense that there is a strong force of darkness threatening the balance between worlds."

"We gotta do something!" Mickey declared. "We have to keep the light safe!" He then looked at his mentor. "But...who would want to put all the worlds in danger?"

Yen Sid pondered the question. For the longest time Mickey did not hear his Master speak. "It is too early to say, but it must be those villainous beings from the worlds in which the light protects the Princesses of Heart." Rummaging through his desk, the elderly wizard took out a piece of parchment and began writing a letter.

Mickey watched anxiously as Yen Sid scribbled an important message and then bequeathed the message in a bottle. Handing the bottle over to Mickey, Yen Sid said, "You must bring a capable warrior to help aid you in the fight against darkness, Mickey," Gazing out at the stars he saw a sole bright star shining. "Enchanted Dominion is the key to finding that prodigy. Like yourself, he or she will be gifted in the arts of magic and weaponry."

Mickey took the bottle and then scratched his head. "But...gosh, how am I gonna know who the right person is with all that skill." Suddenly as if answering the question Mickey's keyblade appeared in his hand.

"Your keyblade...," Yen Sid answered. "When you come across the person who will be what we are searching for your keyblade will react to the strength and purity in their heart; that is how you will know that they can assist you in your quest against the darkness."

Mickey could feel nervous anticipation well up within him at the enormity of the task ahead of him, but the faith that Yen Sid had in him tempered some of it. He gave a quick nod. "R-Right." He paused, his hand tightening on the bottle. "I won't let you down Master Yen Sid."

Yen Sid smiled slightly. "I don't believe you will Mickey; now go, we must hasten before it is too late."

Mickey went to his room in the tower and packed a small sack of things he would need for his journey. When he turned around to leave the room he yelped in surprise at seeing his two friends, Donald and Goofy standing in his doorway. Donald had his customary scowl while Goofy looked perplexed.

"Where ya goin' Mickey? Doncha have ta continue your training to be a Keyblade Master?" Goofy asked this while rubbing the back of his head.

Donald nodded and if possible his scowl deepened. "Yeah! You dragged us here to support you even though I wanted to stay home and get to know Daisy better! If you're thinking of running out on your training you've got another thing coming to you!"

"Calm down you guys!" Mickey said as he motioned for his friends to enter the room and take seats. "This isn't how it looks." He quickly explained the situation to them and for a moment they say silent.

Then Goofy said in what he thought was a stern tone, "Well we're going with you! Gwarsh what if somethin' happened to you?" He shivered slightly. "Minnie would kill us!"

Immediately Donald looked like he was going to fight with what Goofy said but he sighed dramatically. "You'll probably get killed without us."

"Thanks guys!" Mickey replied with a huge grin. "I could use my friends on a task like this."

* * *

Little did Mickey and his friends realize how much they would need each other in the coming weeks. The mouse had recently discovered a Star Shard which would allow him to travel to all the distant worlds however it was unpredictable and it did not always take him to where he wanted or needed to go. As the three friends bounced through the different worlds they were alarmed to discover a growing darkness.

Violence was often seen in places that had normally been peaceful, shadowy creatures made appearances that frightened the locals but as far as Mickey could tell no one had been hurt. Yet. One morning, about three weeks after leaving Yen Sid, Goofy asked if he could hold the Star Shard.

At first Mickey's reaction was to deny this request but seeing as no harm would come of it he handed the star shaped crystal over to his friend. Both he and Donald reached out their hands and placed them on Goofy. Seconds later the area around them seemed to dissolve before transforming into the scenery of a forest.

"Gwarsh," said Goofy handing Mickey back the Star Shard. "I wonder where we are this time."

Mickey replied cheerfully, "There's only one way to find out!" He and Goofy began walking ignoring Donald's groan.

Luckily they did not have to travel far. Within thirty minutes they had reached the outskirts of the forest and all of them stopped dumbfounded at the sight of a large stone castle in the distance. A little ways to the left was a dirt road which from their vantage point they saw led to a quaint looking little village about a mile and a half away. Eagerly they set down the road. About twenty minutes into their walk Donald stopped and pointed ahead of them.

"Hey look! Someone's coming along the road towards us!" Donald told his friends in anticipation.

Mickey and Goofy stopped and sure enough walking towards them was a little girl. As she drew closer they saw that she wore a simple brown skirt that ended at her calves, a peach colored shirt and a slightly grubby looking apron. She was barefoot and her pale blonde hair swung in braids down her back. In her arms she carried a basket and as she came within 5 feet of them Mickey couldn't help but grin at the scowl on her face. She looked like a human version of Donald.

Noticing them she drew up short and a wary expression replaced the scowl. "H-Hello sirs."

Goofy smiled kindly and replied, "Hello there youngn'."

She looked at them curiously and said, "I've never seen strangers like you before."

"We're here on a quest," Mickey explained. Pointing at the village he asked, "What's the name of this town? And...where are we?"

"The village is called Bolide," the girl replied dimpling into a smile. "On account of all the magic and such the King has decreed that we live in the Enchanted Domain."

Donald narrowed his eyes. "What King?"

The girl frowned at him and said, "King Stephen of course."

"Ignore my friend he's a little grumpy." Mickey said. "Do you guys have any keyblade wielders or famous warriors here?"

The girl shook her head and said sadly, "None of the knights ever come this way on account of this being such a small village. I expect if you go to the castle you might meet some of them like Sir Garret the brave or Sir Merron the jovial..." Her voice trailed off and she finished reluctantly. "I best be on my way afore my mother comes after me for not bringin' the berries quick enough. Good day."

She walked off into the forest and the trio began walking back to the village.

Donald sighed heavily and said, "I suppose this means that we're going to the castle now."

Before Mickey could give any kind of reply his right hand tingled and his Star Seeker keyblade suddenly appeared. It glowed brightly for several minutes as the three friends watched in astonishment. As the light began to dim Mickey's eyes widened.

"Do you think this means that that girl we just talked to is the one we've been looking for?" Goofy asked.

Donald crossed his arms and scoffed, "No way! She was way too short!"

"She's not the only short one here Donald." said Mickey dryly. Putting his keyblade away he continued, "I can't ignore this; she's young but she's the only person I've met who's caused the keyblade to react this way. We need to tur-!" His words were interrupted by sudden screams coming from the direction of the village.

The three friends exchanged startled glances and began to run towards the village.

* * *

A cloudless sky opened over a refreshing morning in the Land of Departure. Having slept in a little, Ven was hastily making his way towards the hall where the exam would be held. '_I can't believe I overslept! I was so excited for Terra and Aqua, I didn't get any sleep at all last night_.' Ven thought to himself as he arrived in the hall where the test would progress. He saw Terra and Aqua already lined up and ready to take the test. Levina was by Eraqus' side. Ven saw the disappointed expression on her face as she idly crossed her arms across her chest. A child-like smile appeared on his face as he thought, '_C'mon Levina, cheer up. One day we'll both prove to your Dad that we have what it takes to be keyblade masters!_' Ven's thoughts were suddenly abrupted by the constant stare of an old man watching him like a hawk ready to swoop down at its prey. He had a bald head, wrinkled face, white beard, and his eyes gleamed gold. Ven straightened his spine as he felt those bug eyes move to stare at him.

Ven glanced timidly at the old man again. He felt… strange somehow. But, he didn't really understand why. Just then, Master Eraqus' voice echoed through the hall, "Now the Mark of Mastery exam will commence."

Terra, Aqua and even Ven's spines went ram-rod straight. Levina on the other hand maintained her idle posture. Master Eraqus' abundant dark hair was tied back, his facial hair groomed into a dignified moustache and goatee. There was a more solemn atmosphere around him than usual.

Eraqus shook his head and sighed at his daughter's improper etiquette and continued on with the test, "On this occasion there are two candidates, however, it is not a question of which one is superior or inferior to the other. As ones chosen by the Keyblade, this is a test of the condition of their hearts." Upon saying this, Eraqus looked at Terra and Aqua in turn, and then turned to the old man. The old man nodded in silence. "We are favored with the presence of Master Xehanort, who has travelled a long way to be with us on this long awaited occasion, the birth of a young Master. The two of you, face this test with care."

"Yes, Master," Terra and Aqua said in unison.

"Now, let's begin," Eraqus said, pulling Ven out of his thoughts as he straightened his back a third time.

It was time.

Master Eraqus summoned his keyblade to hand, and as he readied it, several balls of light appeared in the hall. Terra and Aqua readied their own blades. And then—for a split second, Ven felt some other presence shiver through the air.

'_What?!' _Ven thought as he wearily looked around.

The balls of light meant to test Terra and Aqua began moving towards Ven and Levina. Eraqus, Terra and Aqua jumped into action.

"Ven!" Terra and Aqua shouted in concern.

But, Ven called his keyblade into his hand. "I'm fine," He shouted. "Terra, Aqua, concentrate on your exam!" He told his friends. '_This here is no sweat!_' Ven thought to himself.

"But Ven, it's dangerous for you to be here. Go back to your room and wait," Aqua said, worriedly, as she sent a ball of light flying from in front of her with her Keyblade and making to run towards Ven.

"No way. I've been looking forward to this. I want to be here to see you two become Masters," Ven yelled back, swinging his keyblade down on the balls of light that were going after him, too.

"Ven will be fine," said Terra, facing off against the other balls of light that had followed. "He's been training alongside us all this time, after all."

_'Hearing Terra say that for me makes me so happy.' _Aqua smiled at Terra and then looked at Ven's direction, "Be careful, Ven." She told the younger boy.

_'I don't hate having Aqua worry for me either, though.' _Ven thought smiling at Aqua's direction while nodding his head_, _"Yeah!"

Eraqus threw his free arm out in front of Levina, "I'd advise you to do the same," He ordered. "Return to your room where it's safe." He then heard a keyblade strike a ball of light from behind him. The worried stricken master turned around seeing his only child with a keyblade.

"Maybe you should stop treating me like I'm still five years old, Dad." Levina said to him silencing the experienced keyblade master.

The four keyblade wielders turned to their own balls of light. Within moments the keyblade students took care of the balls of light protecting and defending each other in battle.

_'Why did Ven and Levina get dragged into this, when the exam was meant to be for us two?'_ Aqua thought as she looked up at Eraqus after all the balls of light had been destroyed. '_There's no way those balls of light should have turned on them, they weren't even candidates for the exam._ Ven stood at the edge of the hall, panting, but with a slightly proud look on his face. Seeing the semi-exhausted look on the boy's face, Aqua sighed, '_I don't really like him sticking his neck out. Even though it can't be helped sometimes, seeing as he's training to become a keyblade master.' _ Even so, Aqua worried about Ven she looked towards Terra and thought, '_I wonder what Terra's thinking?_'

"Despite the unforeseen circumstances, it was a good chance to test whether one maintains a calm heart no matter what the situation, and so we see no particular reason to stop. Let's continue the exam." Eraqus said.

Aqua continued looking at the people around her. Ven's proud expression, Terra's calm exterior, and Levina's boasting nature. At Master Erauqs' words, Aqua straightened her posture. '_I was probably the worst shaken out of everyone here. It's because my heart is immature. Well, it just means I haven't trained enough. A Master cannot slip up in what they do. If so, maybe those balls of light turned on Ven because the Master willed them to.' _She thought gripping her keyblade tightly in her hand.

"Next, Terra and Aqua, show us a mock battle amongst candidates. Regardless of who wins or loses, this is about the ability brought out in your heart when you face a rival." Eraqus commenced the next phase of the test.

Hearing this Aqua's heart seemed to freeze. '_Unforeseen circumstances… and ability when facing a rival. It's all to measure the strength of our hearts.' _She thought_. _

Aqua looked at Terra, admonishing herself upon seeing his perfectly composed expression, and moved set to face him. Terra stood facing her in the same way.

"Begin," said Master Eraqus, and at the exact same time Aqua and Terra flew at each other, keyblades in hand.

Sparks flew.

The shock of impact rattled right to Terra's fingertips.

_'It's been a long time since I've felt Aqua go all out,_ ' Terra thought. The thought that maybe he really was no match for her power flitted across his mind. '_What am I lacking? Is it power? Or is it lots of things?'_

Terra drew back for a second, catching his breath. Aqua immediately closed the gap. Their keyblades clashed again, and sparks flew.

_'I don't want to lose. I can't let myself lose.' _Terra thought determinedly.

He struck Aqua's Keyblade with all his might. Distance opened between them again.

Ven and Levina watched on nervously for their friends hoping that their friends would both receive the position as keyblade master. They continued watching their friends battle each other as an ominous thought occurred to both of them. Would they have to go up against each other if they ever took the Mark of Master of exam? They both looked at each other with worried expressions and continued to watch their friends do battle. As for Master Xehanort, the old man had been silently observing everything from the moment the exam began.

_'More power… I want power.' _The thought struck Terra so eagerly.

Terra clenched his fist. In his hand, power welled up— '_What is this power?' _ The older boy thought for a split second. A strange, unknown power rolled through Terra. '_It feels... threatening, somehow….?'_

Feeling uneasy, Terra opened the palm of his hand, trying to push the power down. Just then, Master Eraqus' voice echoed around. "That's it."

Aqua was looking straight at Terra. Terra nodded in return, putting his keyblade away, and returned to where he had stood originally.

_'I… no, I should be okay. I fought as hard as I could. I used up all of my strength.' _Terra thought to himself nervously clutching onto the wayfinder in his pocket.

Master Eraqus took one step forward. Behind him was Master Xehanort.

"I will announce the results of the exam," Eraqus said looking at his pupils. "Terra, Aqua, you were both excellent, however—on this occasion, Aqua is the one who has shown the Mark."

Hearing this Aqua just remained silent. She wasn't sure if she was happy or not. Ven smiled from the corner and Levina ran over to Aqua hugging her which caused Eraqus to shake his head.

Terra's throat closed up. '_There's no way. That's just.' _He thought in disappointment.

"I have judged that Terra does not have sufficient power to control the darkness in his heart." Eraqus said to Terra causing the boy an uncomfortable doubt within himself.

_'I guess that means that was the power of darkness,' Terra_ thought._ 'That power…? There's darkness in my heart…?'_

"I'm counting on you to apply yourself to further training—that is all," Eraqus instructed the disappointed boy. He then looked at Aqua and told her, " Aqua, there is special knowledge that you must hear as a Keyblade Master, so please wait here."

Terra wanted to speak. He wanted to tell Eraqus to give him another chance. That he can prove he has what it takes to be a keyblade master. He saw Ven idly running over and Master Xehanort had also just walked off. He heard yelling coming from the hall, it was Levina.

"Isn't that proof enough Dad?!" Levina shouted. "I've just showed you can I hold my own in battle!"

"That was merely target practice, Levina," Eraqus said to her not raising his voice. "You aren't ready to face the true trials of the keyblade!"

"When am I supposed to be ready?!" Levina huffed. "If you keep holding me back, I won't learn anything!" She then ran off to her room.

'_All my years of raising her and wanting Levina to act like the Princesses of Heart; being studious, respectful, and kind; they are going to waste_.' Eraqus thought rubbing his temples.

A flood of thoughts came running through Terra's mind,_ 'Master Eraqus is gone. I can't really remember the last thing he said, though. Ventus is running over. Master Xehanort just left the hall. Aqua is looking at me. The hall is horribly quiet, and my chest sort of hurts.' _

"Terra…," Aqua said.

"I, Terra, you know you're also…," Ven began. But Terra couldn't speak to anyone right now.

"…Sorry, I need to be alone…," He told the two of them, and walked off alone.

* * *

As if waiting for Master Xehanort to leave the hall, somebody was standing inside the castle.

The person snorted, as if he—Vanitas—had also been watching the Mark of Mastery exam.

However, not pausing at Vanitas' behavior, Master Xehanort asked, "What do you make of Ventus?"

"He's nothing," Vanitas said with a laugh. . "Someone's got to break that loser in."

"Not here you won't," Master Xehanort ordered. "It would be troublesome if they figured anything out."

"I know that," Vanitas replied. Vanitas put on the mask he'd removed, and started walking. Staring at his retreating back, Master Xehanort's mouth twisted into a smile. He could already feel the chaos amongst the worlds. He could definitely sense that growing power of darkness emanating from one world. The world of Enchanted Dominion was already in an eruption of chaos. The dark fairy known as Maleficent had her own vendetta upon that world casting a spell on Princess Aurora making her fall into a coma like sleep. The powerful dark fairy's heart would work well into his plans.

The worlds had begun to move, and to plunge them further into chaos, there was still work to be done.

* * *

**Ugh...curse you Xehanort and your bad ass villainous planning! Wow, two chapters in and there hasn't been any exploration of worlds rofl. We are taking our time with this fic. Hopefully and most likely in chapter 3 there will be world hopping :D Review! **


	3. Departure

**Here's chapter 3 everyone. Sorry no world exploration yet. We had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Definately in the next chapter there will be world exploration. **

* * *

Chapter 3: Departure

Terra left the hall and sat on the stone steps leading to the garden. He stared at his palm. '_What I'm really worried about—no, what I'm really scared about—more than how I failed the Mark of Mastery exam,' _ He thought to himself squeezing his fist._ 'Is how that power I harbored for a moment… was the power of darkness? I've learned about the power of darkness. I know about the sticky end that comes to those whose hearts have been taken by darkness, too. That power… is in me. I learned that power is necessary to overcome the darkness in one's heart. The power of the heart… no, the power of the flesh. If I discipline my physical ability, then the strength of my heart will naturally come along too. And in the same way, if I discipline the power of my heart, then the power of my keyblade will rise. That's what I learned. I have power. Why should I be afraid of the dark? I'm sure I can overcome this darkness too.' _ All these thoughts raced through Terra's mind as he contemplated what happened during the exam.

"Yes. You do have power," came a voice from an unexpected place. Terra turned to see. "There's no need for you to be afraid of the darkness," Xehanort said as if he was reading the boy's thoughts, and Terra stood.

'_That's right, if I only have power, then there's no reason I should be afraid of the darkness..' _ Terra thought. He bowed his head automatically. "Master Xehanort…"

"However… Eraqus will never recognize the darkness as a source of power. To him darkness is something to be revered. If you continue to train under him in this way, I wonder if you can ever become a Master…" Xehanort said to Terra.

Terra remained silent as he heard Xehanort say this. He would never become a master under Eraqus' tutelage. Those words stuck to his heart. He needed to become a master no matter what the cost was. If darkness was his power, he would use the darkness as his tool to become stronger. '_If Master Xehanort recognizes my power, then I have a feeling he could also release me from this fear. From the fear towards the darkness.' _ He thought as he watched Xehanort retreat from him. Quickly the boy trailed after Xehanort like a lost sheep. "Please tell me! Master Xehanort, what do I have to learn?" He asked a hint of desperation in his voice.

Master Xehanort slowly turned to Terra. "You're fine as you are," He told the desperate boy. "It's not about destroying the darkness in one's heart, it's about having the power to command it."

'_The power to command the darkness…' _ Terra thought. Could that even be possible? He then looked at the experienced keyblade master in front of him. "I..," Terra began. "I want to learn how to control the darkness in my heart." He confessed. "Please, Master Xehanort, teach me how to control the darkness! I don't want to be afraid of the power that lurks inside my heart."

Hearing the desperation from the boy, Xehanort's cold smile turned into a smirk which Terra couldn't see because he was kneeling before him. "Forget what Eraqus has taught you," Xehanort said to him. "From now on darkness will be your path to becoming a Keyblade Master!"

"Yes, Master Xehanort," Terra answered, and knelt before him. Master Xehanort put a hand on Terra's shoulder and smiled—and then, he went back inside the castle.

Still on his knees, Terra stared at the ground.

* * *

In Enchanted Dominion, the town of Bolide was under siege by strange dark creatures. Not even King Stephen's brave and strong knights were a match for these strange creatures. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy stared at the scene.

"Gawrsh your majesty, what's goin' on?" Goofy asked staring at the strange dark creatures gnawing at the knights from the castle with their sharp claws and feet.

The first to react, Mickey held out his hand making his keyblade appear. With a small leap, the mouse swung his blade down at the strange yellow beady eyed creatures that were attacking the knights. The moment Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade touched the dark creatures they vanished

"W-What kind of sorcery is this?!" asked one of the knights raising their sword at Mickey. "We were unable to strike a blow to these unruly creatures."

"He must be one of Maleficent's apprentices!" another knight replied.

Mickey rubbed the back of his head. "No, no I'm not with Maleficent," Mickey told them and was about to explain more when Donald interrupted him.

"Your Majesty!" Donald quacked. "Look!" Mickey's companion pointed towards a swarm of dark creatures chasing after the young girl they had bumped into prior from their arrival.

"G-Get away from me!" The girl yelled smacking her wooden basket into the creatures making them topple over into the ground.

"C'mon fellas!" Mickey urged his friends. "We gotta help her!"

Donald and Goofy ushered out their weapons. Goofy rammed at the creatures with a large shield, while Donald used his staff casting several magical spells.

Mickey guarded the girl with his keyblade. "You're definitely the one we've been looking for!" He told her.

"W-What?" The girl asked confused. "What are you talking about?!"

"I'll explain later!" Mickey told her swinging his keyblade.

* * *

In the tallest tower in the kingdom, the dark fairy Maleficent watched the creatures advance on Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and the unsuspecting girl. "Heartless...such noble allies," She smirked watching the heartless multiply every time Mickey or one of the others destroyed one. Suddenly, tiny navy colored creatures materialized beside the heartless. They were much swifter and quick than the heartless. In an instant the new creatures destroyed the heartless that were surrounded the town. Mickey almost jumped seeing these new creatures appear.

"Darkness has many allies," came a voice from a corner.

Anger boiled within the dark fairy as she saw Xehanort in front of her. "How _ dare _you trespass in my domain!"

"That does not concern me," Xehanort replied suggestively as he crept up beside her to stare out the window. Immediately he scowled. "What is Yen Sid's rat doing here?"

"He is most troublesome," Maleficent watched as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy continued fighting off these new creatures that were able to destroy Maleficent's heartless. "Those creatures?" She asked curiously. "What are they? They seem to be stronger than those who lack a heart."

"The heartless are no match for creatures of pure darkness that feed off of negative emotions from one's heart; the Unversed are the ultimate creatures of darkness." Xehanort explained while he continued to watch Mickey fight. "Yen Sid believes he can stop the forces of darkness by sending that tiny little rat to interfere," He then turned to Maleficent. "Ultimate power is what I seek. The power to draw out Kingdom Hearts - the source of all worlds into everlasting darkness!"

"Kingdom Hearts?" Maleficent repeated. Her eagerness to know more about what Xehanort's plans were. "A complete universe of darkness, I'd feel right at home."

Xehanort hid a smirk. "The Princesses of Heart are what draws pure light to form the door to Kingdom Hearts. By obtaining their hearts, the door to Kingdom Hearts will be revealed."

"What makes you think I'm capable of tracking down those feeble minded princesses?" Maleficent tightly held her staff. She wasn't going to throw everything away just to be some one's errand fairy.

"You've already forced one of them into a deep sleep," Xehanort said to her. "Stealing her heart will be an easy task."

"What makes you think I will follow your plan willingly?" Maleficent raises her staff in the air ushering out green smoke. As the green smoke lifted, her minions came to her side. Her goons ran at Xehanort with their tiny maces and arrows in hand. In a trembling wave of darkness, Xehanort summoned his keyblade in his hand. Petrified by the weapon, the goons backed down scuttling next to their mistress.

Stroking her raven, who was beside her Maleficent watched as her creatures of darkness were easily led into fear. "The Princesses of Heart you say?"

* * *

On the other side of the castle Levina laid on the bed in her room glaring at her ceiling. She was ready to take the Mark of Mastery exam! Why couldn't her father see it? Hadn't she proved herself with the balls of light? '_Father just want's me to stay his little girl forever_..!' Levina thought sullenly. '_Why can't he see that I'm growing up?_'' She glanced over to her tiny book case which was beside her bed. A soft smile touched her lips as she remembered when Eraqus would read to her every night when she was younger. About far off lands, princesses who fought for what they believed in, and finding true love. '_Is that how Dad wants me to be like? Like those princesses in these books?' _ She thought. '_But they all fought for what they believed in their heart was right.'_

Sighing Levina twisted so that she laid face down. Aqua was now a keyblade master and Terra...a worried frown puckered Levina's face as she thought of her older friend. He had always seemed so in control as if nothing could touch him but Levina had sensed the crushing disappointment radiating from Terra as her father had proclaimed Aqua the new keyblade master.

"Who made up all these rules of who can become a keyblade master or not?" Levina mumbled to herself. She and Ven...and Terra had been training for months for the opportunity but only _one _ person could achieve their dream? That seemed a bit shifty for bearers of light. Sitting up she thought, '_It's not right that Terra didn't get chosen. He trained just as hard as Aqua! I'm going to go find father and convince him to give Terra another chance._!'

Levina slid out of bed and walked out of her room never even noticing the golden eyes watching her from across the hall...

* * *

Meanwhile Ven was in his room thinking similar thoughts about his friends. He was disappointed that Terra had not been chosen to be a keyblade master but he couldn't help but feel slightly happy that he would get more time with his friend. Ven bit his bottom lip worriedly. Now that Aqua was a master there was really no reason for her to hang around there in the Land of Departure. She could come and go at will...

Ven sighed and leaned back on his bed. Absently he reached out and grabbed the wooden keyblade he used for training and began swinging it. There was no use in worrying, Master Eraqus was wise; if he said that Terra wasn't ready then...a loud clanging yanked Ventus from his thoughts and it took several moments for the young boy to realize that it was the bells.

His heart leaped. Those bells were only rung if there was an emergency! Jumping off his bed Ventus dashed for the door but stopped when a silken voice threaded its way around him.

"You better hurry Ventus..." the voice paused and astonished Ventus turned around a found a person, probably a guy, leaning casually against his desk. Their face was covered by a black mask that seemed connected with the outfit they wore, also black with strange red markings on it.

Ven's eyes widened slightly. "Hey! who are you and how'd you get in here?"

The person responded casually, "If you don't hurry...you'll never see Terra again."

"What are you talking about? I can see Terra whenever I want!" Ventus snapped defensively.

A chuckle slid out of the person and Ven could almost see the smirk on their face. "Really? How about right now? Face it Ventus, Terra is leaving you behind." He paused and turned to face the distraught boy. "By the time you catch up he'll be a different person."

"Look, I don't know who you are or how you got in her but stop saying weird stuff about my friends!" Ventus replied. He slid into a defensive position and continued, "If you wanna fight then I'll gladly give you one!"

The person straightened and sneered, "Grow up Ventus. Friendship isn't all it's cracked up to be. You're about to learn that the hard way."

Before Ventus could respond a large puddle of darkness materialized and with a mocking wave the person disappeared through it. Ventus gritted his teeth wanting to follow but the clanging of the bells once more pushed him out of the room; his friends needed him.

* * *

'_Terra…_' Aqua thought worriedly as she stared at the pattern on the floor, her head bowed.

"Keyblade Masters must have good sense…" She remembered Eraqus's words during the exam.

_'Master Eraqus' words aren't staying in my head at all,' _ Aqua thought as her fingers gently grazed her wayfinder. '_I've been accepted as a Master, but my worry for Terra is so much bigger than my happiness over it.'_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she and everyone else in the castle heart a bell toll.

_'That's the bell that tells us when something unusual is happening in the Realm. But who on earth could be ringing it?'_

"What…" Curiously Eraqus turned back to look at a pedestal. Light began to shine from a mirror at the back of the pedestal. Eraqus faced the mirror, and began to say something. Aqua knew that the mirror was used to contact other worlds, but she'd never seen Master Eraqus use it to talk to someone before.

_'What on earth…?' _Aqua wondered in anticipation.

Staring anxiously at Master Eraqus' back, Aqua heard the door to the hall open behind her, and Terra came running in. He lined up beside Aqua.

"What happened?" Terra said, still facing forwards.

"I don't know…," Aqua told her friend. "Where are Ven and Levina?" '_If the bell tolls, we all have to assemble in the hall._' Aqua eyed the door worriedly. She then heard Levina's footsteps rushing over to her father.

"Dad!" Levina shouted and Eraqus' conversation with the mysterious figure inside the mirror was haulted.

"Yes Levina, what is it?" Eraqus asked looking at his daughter.

"You've got to give Terra another chance at being a keyblade master!" Levina answered pleadingly.

"Now isn't the time, Levina," Eraqus gently scolded his daughter. "There is an emergency among the worlds. "

"But..." She frowned lowering her gaze towards the marble floor. There was a time where her father would've listened to her. However, she realized that those days were long gone. Growing angry Levina gently glared at her father. "You never listen to anything I have to say anymore!" She stormed out of the hall.

"Levina! Wait!" Eraqus shouted to her, but his yell fell on deaf ears. Eraqus turned his attention towards the mysterious figure in the mirror replying, "…Well then, I will send my students to investigate," he answered, and the light from the mirror dimmed as though the connection had been cut as he turned and faced the two. Tension ran through Terra and Aqua. "My old friend Yen Sid, even after retiring as a Master, has kept his eye on the trends of light and dark, and presents a mark for the path we as keyblade wielders ought to take."

_'Yen Sid… I've heard his name. He's a grand sorcerer.' _Aqua thought letting out a sigh of relief.

"Yen Sid has sent report that something is threatening the Princesses of Heart. However, this threat is not simply darkness, but an overflow of beings that sprout from negative emotion, so-to-speak. Yen Sid has named these who are unfamiliar with life the Unversed." Eraqus told his students.

_'Unversed… Beings that sprout from negative emotion. Why would they…?' _Terra thought.

"As Keyblade wielders, we must not let the threat of the Unversed erode the light and destroy its balance with darkness," Eraqus continued on suddenly coming to a realization. "Also, I wanted to inform Master Xehanort of this misfortune, but I could not contact him. I don't think the situations are connected, but it gives me a bad feeling."

Aqua and Terra both failed to hide a jolt.

_'He couldn't contact Master Xehanort, who I thought was here just a second ago…' _Terra thought remembering that he swore an allegiance to Xehanort._ 'Where on earth did he go?'_

Terra cast his eyes down. "Master Xehanort…"

Eraqus continued, "And so, I would have you two endeavors to control the situation. Suppress the Unversed threat, and find Master Xehanort. I have opened the Lanes Between. These are forbidden paths, not normally traversable, that lead to outside worlds. If overused, one's heart may be taken by darkness; however, your armor will protect you from that. Also, for the sake of world order, you must keep the secret of the existence of other worlds. In any case, please take care."

"Yes Master," Terra and Aqua answered in unison.

_'I wasn't expecting that. We've never received a mission like that before. Is this because I'm a Keyblade Master now? Even so, the timing of everything is too perfect.' _Feeling some kind of looming threat, Aqua felt sweat gather on her brow.

"Terra," Eraqus called. Terra looked at him. "I want to reconsider marking you as a Master, depending on how this mission goes."

"Huh?" Terra blurted, his face filled with surprise.

"I think of you as the son I never had," Eraqus confessed. "I love Levina with all my heart, but with her rash behavior as of late, and if anything were to happen to me, there would be no one to carry on my lineage as a Keyblade Master. If I could, I would name you Master right here and now…" Eraqus cut himself off and closed his eyes, but after a moment he looked back at Terra and continued. "However, you are too concerned with power. Terra, do not fear defeat. A deep connection between power and fear will beckon darkness. Do not forget this."

Terra nodded, and bowed his head. "Thank you so much. I promise I will live up to your feelings."

Terra's now upturned face wore a tense and grim expression. Feeling somehow anxious, Aqua stared at him. '_Why am I so uneasy? There's no way Terra would fall to the darkness.' _She thought.

Aqua watched Terra as he turned and walked away, then turned to Eraqus and bowed her head. "I'll take my leave too, then."

"Wait," Master Eraqus called, stopping her. "For you, I have one more top priority mission—no, I have a request."

Aqua looked at him. "What is it?"

Master Eraqus' eyes began to grow wet as Aqua gazed steadfastly back. "I want to name Terra a master with this mission that is the truth. But, in the small shred of darkness hiding within him, I felt something fathomless. If worst comes to worst, if Terra falls to the darkness, bring him back to me immediately. I don't want to lose a single one of you to the darkness."

_'The small yet fathomless darkness hiding inside Terra—maybe the uneasiness I felt is the same thing Master Eraqus was talking about.' _She thought.

"I won't let Terra be lost to the darkness, or anything. I will return with Terra, fit to be a Master," Aqua replied. She pressed her lips together. '_I will never let that happen to him.'_

Master Eraqus nodded sharply. "I'm counting on you."

_'There's no way Terra will fall to the darkness.' _Aqua thought to herself clutching her wayfinder tightly in her hand.

* * *

Levina stomped up the steps towards her room. "All I wanted was to convince Dad that Terra's worthy of being a keyblade master," She sighed. "I hoped that would prove to him that I'm responsible enough for me to the take the test! I need to prove to him that I'm worthy of being a keyblade master." She huffed and then realized what her father had mentioned earlier. '_The worlds are in danger…'_ She thought. 'I_f I could figure out what's causing the worlds to be imbalanced, father will have to let me take the Mark of Mastery exam!'_ With the idea in her thoughts, she quickly hurried to her room to get a few essential things she needed on this worthwhile journey of self exploration. She stopped as she saw a flood of darkness in the shape of door appearing in front of her.

Frightened by the manifestation, Levina staggered back as she saw some one step out from the darkness. Was it Master Xehanort? No it was somebody else. She curiously stared at the person in front of her, clad in armor and a large mask covering their face. "W-Who are you?" She asked meekly.

Vanitas turned towards her direction mentally cursing to himself since Xehanort's orders were to remain hidden while being here. "So you must be the Master's daughter." He said cooly smirking under his mask.

Defensively Levina held out her making her keyblade appear. "How did you know that?! Where did you come from?! Who are you?!" She blurted out these questions demanding an answer.

A low dark chuckle escaped Vanitas' lips. "Don't think you've got what it takes to take me down little girl," Vanitas told her as he approached her. "That wimp Ventus couldn't take me down even if he tried. What makes you think you can?"

"He's my friend! Don't insult him!" Levina held her keyblade tightly, despite being completely petrified of this stranger. The stench of darkness was all over him. She flinched as she felt Vanitas' hand tuck in a strand of her hair behind her ear. His touch sent a shiver down her spine.

Vanitas saw her fear and smirked, "I suppose I could squeeze you into my plan," He said to her disappearing into another corridor of darkness.

Levina's keyblade disappeared from her hands. She couldn't fathom as to what just happened. She let out a deep sigh clinging to her wayfinder in her pocket. '_Should I tell Dad…_," She thought lowering her eyes to the floor. '_No he won't listen…he's too busy focused on other things to hear what I have to say_.'

* * *

Ven ran from the room, wooden keyblade still clutched in his hand. He dashed down the stairs, and flared into the courtyard, searching for the figure of Terra.

_'There he is!' _Ven thought happily as he ran towards Terra.

"Terra!" He yelled.

Panting hard, Ven was about to tell Terra about what the stranger in the mask from before had said, but—Terra put a hand on his head as if to stop him, and ruffled his hair.

"It's okay." Terra told his friend.

_'It's okay— I thought you weren't ok!' _Ven thought trying to rehearse the words in his head that he would tell his friend. '_That's not it. I just want to ask, 'Hey, what that guy in the mask said about you not being you anymore, what do you think that's all about?'_

But without leaving Ven time to ask, Terra tapped part of his shoulder guard, and in an instant his whole body was covered in armor. In rapid succession he threw his keyblade into the air, and as it transformed into flight mode, Ven saw Terra go with the same movement to jump nimbly onto it. The flowing chain of movements left Ven unable to call out.

_'But there are still so many things I want to tell you—'_Ven pouted.

Right before Ven's eyes, Terra's keyblade glider flew into a hole it ripped in the air—into a Lanes Between.

For some reason, the words of the boy from before flitted through Ven's mind.

_You can't know unless you go make sure yourself._

_'Well then—I'll have to go too.' _Ven thought making the wooden keyblade dematerialize. He always kept this special keep-sake around.

Ven tapped the part of his shoulder guard just as Terra had, and he was wrapped in armor. Before Ven was able to board his vehicle he heard Levina calling out to him.

"Ven wait!" Levina shouted as ran over to him. "I want to go with you!"

"What?" Ven asked confused as he looked at his friend. Unlike himself, Terra, and Aqua, Levina didn't have the armor equipped to her outfit because she was just now learning how to wield a keyblade properly. Her heart wasn't synched with her weapon like the others were. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He then looked towards the large castle in front of him. "I don't think your Dad would like it."

Levina clenched her fists. "I don't care what my Dad says!" She told him. "I want to prove to him that I'm worthy of being a keyblade master! So I'm taking your idea and going with it! Let's go see other worlds and get stronger along the way!" She smiled.

Ven blinked his blue eyes from under his armor. _'Is she serious?'_ He thought. Knowing that he wasn't going to persuade Levina to stay behind, Ven flipped in the air jumping onto his keyblade glider. He then outstretched his hand to Levina. "Hang onto me ok? My armor will protect us both from the borders between worlds." He instructed her.

Levina nodded taking Ven's hand and hugging onto his back gently. Lucky for Ven, Levina couldn't see his face blushing as she held onto him. The two rode off on his keyblade glider into the giant gaping hole in the sky.

Aqua's voice came from far away.

"Wait Ven!" Aqua called out to him. She then saw Levina on Ven's keyblade glider. "Come back you two!

Following Terra again, Ven flew into the Lane Between.

Vanitas watched Ventus and Levina leave on their journey from a corner of the courtyard, and stared at the black opening that led to the Lanes Between.

_'The dice are already cast,' _Vanitas thought._ 'Ventus will definitely get it done. Just like how I know Master Xehanort is doing what he has to do right now.' _An uneasy feeling struck the masked boy as he stared at Levina clinging to Ventus. A frustrated growl escaped his lips, whatever this new feeling was inside the emptyness of his chest, he hated it. He should've disposed of Levina when he had the chance.

His thoughts were suddenly brought back into focus as he heard Aqua calling out to Ven and Levina to come back followed by Eraqus.

_'That woman must be the spare—Aqua.' _Vanitas thought.

"No Levina! Stop Ven!" shouted Master Eraqus, behind her.

_'I assume that means Aqua is supposed to follow Ven. Master Xehanort did say that Master Eraqus would get in the way of our plans. True enough,'_ thought Vanitas with a shrug. '_Someone from the side of light who knows Ven's—my—true nature. He must surely have fallen into the trap because we used Terra.'_

"Bring them back!" Master Eraqus ordered Aqua.

"I will by all means," Aqua replied, taking up her armor as the two had before, throwing her keyblade into the air, and mounting it. Then, just like that she flew into the shrinking opening to the Lanes Between.

_'Now all the actors are on the stage—well, in the Lanes Between. I'd better head for a few worlds myself,' _thought Vanitas, opening a corridor of darkness before himself. It was a dark space that connected the worlds. Vanitas looked at the sky.

Eraqus was doing the same. "…Master Xehanort…," he muttered. "Where could he have gone?" The master stood in the center of the garden outside the castle worried for his daughter's safety. He realized now that if he actually took the time and listened to what his daughter had to say she wouldn't have run off. '_Levina forgive me for not listening to you_.'

Vanitas continued watching the lone elderly keyblade master thinking_, 'By the time he knows everything it will be too late.'_ Vanitas stepped into the corridor of darkness, smiling slightly underneath his mask.

* * *

**Lol, is there ever going to be a chapter where it doesn't end with the bad guys plotting. So which world should should our heroes explore first? Dwarf Woodlands - Snow White's world or Castle of Dreams - Cinderella's world. I'll let the reviewers decide :D **


	4. Dwarf Woodlands

**Well here's the next chapter to the fic everyone :) Enjoy. Yes that goes to the two reviewers who are reading this fic, lol, I don't know what's up with and the KH fandom D: I need more reviews... and I probably won't be able to update as frequently since I start college tomorrow :) So enjoy this chapter while you can :) **

* * *

Chapter 4: Dwarf Woodlands

It had been a long and difficult battle but Mickey, Donald and Goofy had driven back the mysterious creatures along with the help of the Knights of the nearby castle. Unfortunately the damage had been done; dozens of villagers lay scattered upon the ground with varying degrees of injuries. Some, Mickey was saddened to see, were dead.

"W...What were those things?" The shaky voice belonged to the little girl who the keyblade had deemed worthy to be their companion. Mickey started slightly having forgotten that she was there and turned to look at her. Her skin was pale and she clutched her broken basket tightly in both hands. Before the mouse could reply however a sudden horrified look came over her face. She dropped the basket and rushed towards a pair of knights who were dragging some bodies out of cottage.

The trio of friends followed and watched as the young girl threw herself down besides the bodies. One of them was of an older woman dressed in a simple peasant dress. The peaceful expression on her face was at odds with the wound marring her chest. The other body was that of a man who bore similar wounds. The girl began to cry and she grabbed the woman by her shoulders and tried to shake her.

"Mamma, wake up! Wake up and I'll bake the pie all by myself!" Her words faded for a moment before she renewed her efforts. "I won't try to be a knight anymore. I promise Mamma..."

While Mickey was the one who placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze surprisingly it was Donald who spoke. "You wanted to be a knight?" He snorted and folded his wings over his chest. "Girls can't be knights!"

Instantly the girl whirled around her blue eyes filled with tears and anger. "Girls too can be knights! I heard it in a story once!"

Mickey's eyes widened and he started to protest against his friend's brusqueness but Donald held up a wing to silence him. Mickey sighed softly but backed down; his friend wasn't a fool but...

"Stories are for babies," sneered Donald before puffing out his chest proudly. "Only really brave people can be knights."

The girl swiped a hand across her tear stained cheeks. "I'm...I'm really brave."

Donald narrowed his eyes and leaned over so he could peer into the girls face. "Oh yeah? Well only brave people who have causes can be a knight!"

Slowly the girl stood up and straightened her back. Her voice wobbled slightly as she said, "If I were a knight I would go after whoever was responsible for this."

Donald let out one of his belly laughs that sounded like a duck being strangled. Goofy looked nervously at the girl who was struggling not to cry and his friend who was being in his opinion unnecessarily rude. "Gwarsh Donald but you aren't a kni-OUCH!" He jumped backwards at Donald's sudden kick into his shins. "W-What was that for?!"

Ignoring Goofy, Donald turned back to the girl and snapped, "You're pretty scrawny but I suppose with some training you could make a passable knight. If you survive anyways."

"You'll help me become a knight so I can avenge my parents?" The girl's eyes grew large with shock and a hint of excitement.

"Not me," Donald replied before jerking a feather over at the injured Goofy. "He will."

* * *

_The butterfly was beautiful. The young boy leaned against his window sill and eagerly watched as it fluttered on the wind before landing beside him. The boy's eyes lit up and made sure to stay still. It wasn't often that he found beauty in this place and he had no desire to scare it off. In his focus on the butterfly the boy let his guard down and didn't notice the creeping darkness around him. A gasp escaped his throat as a gnarled hand landed on his shoulder. _

_The butterfly flew off as a voice sneered, "Wasting your time again Vanitas?" _

_Vanitas pulled himself free of Master Xehanort's grip and replied meekly, "I was just taking a break from training." _

_A cruel smile flitted across Xehanort's face. "Very well...enjoy your break." The butterfly fluttered near the window again and Vanitas watched silently as the old man reached out his hand and gently touched the creature. Instantly a tiny bit of darkness was wrapping itself around the insect and it fell to the window sill, nothing more than ashes. _

Vanitas' eyes jerked open and for a moment he was momentarily confused. Immediately his eyes sought out his window. Then he shook his head. Vanitas was currently in the Keyblade Graveyard awaiting Xehanort's next orders. He sat in the shade of one of the many rock pillars feeling alternately disgusted by the hollowness and the stupid sunset in the sky.. A sneer touched the young boy's lips as his thoughts turned back to Xehanort. The old man was a fool. If it weren't for the fact that Vanitas needed him to achieve the X-Blade – whatever that was - he would have killed him long ago.

A movement to his left pulled Vanitas' thoughts from Xehanort and he realized it was a butterfly. Idly he watched the delicate creature flutter around and Vanitas couldn't help but think about the girl he had seen earlier. Her dark hair had been curled upon her head and her eyes were just as brown as the butterfly's wings. From what he had seen the cheerful young girl was a close friend of Ventus. Reaching out Vanitas grabbed the butterfly and crushed it easily between his fingers, a smile tipping his mouth upwards. Vanitas would destroy everything Ventus cared about...starting with that girl. Creating a dark corridor, Vanitas left the Keyblade Graveyard. He knew exactly where Ventus and his friends were.

* * *

Clad in armor, Ven raced through the Lanes Between on his keyblade glider. '_I can't see Terra. Where did he run off to?_ ' He thought and felt Levina's arms tighten around him. He had almost forgotten she was there since she was so quiet. Levina looked back at the now distant Land of Departure. She wondered if running away with Ven was such a good idea… A small sigh escaped her lips, she just wanted to prove to her father that she was good enough to take the Mark of Mastery exam and become a keyblade master.

From beyond the Lanes Between, which was full floating fine shards of stars, they could see the shining light of a world. A forest, and flowery fields, and… a little house?

Ven made his keyblade glider speed to that world.

He touched down on a rocky mountain. However, beyond it he and Levina could see trees growing thickly. Ven's heart rate started to pick up, a little nervous and excited at a world he'd never seen before. Even the warmth of the air was different. So was the scent. The strength of the light shining down was different. Everything he saw was completely new.

Levina smiled at everything around her. This world definitely felt like home. It was calm and serene. '_This world feels just like home…it's so peaceful and quaint_,' she thought. '_There is a strong light that protects this world._'

They remembered the stars they had seen last night.

'_Terra said that each and every one of those stars was a world,' _Ven thought. '_So that would mean, there are as many different worlds as there are stars? Or, are all the other worlds not much different to this one, and the world I was on before just special? There's so much I want to know,_' He kept on pondering with his thoughts. '_I want try and learn about all different kinds of worlds.'_

Ven and Levina climbed down the mountain, looking all around with wide eyes. Sensing someone's presence. Ven peered down over a cliff edge.

"What is it Ven?" Levina asked.

"Shhh, look," Ven replied quietly as he pointed downwards.

There were seven dwarves. Each one wore clothes of a different color and carried a pickaxe over his shoulder. They hummed a cheerful tune while walking into a nearby cave. They were so preoccupied with their own lives they didn't notice the two new visitors. Seeing the dwarves entered a slightly secluded cave. Curious about the people from this world, Ven and Levina jumped down from the small ledge and ran into the cave after them.

The cave the two had entered was a mine. Lamps shone here and there. Glittering gemstones were buried in the rugged walls. The dwarves swung their pickaxes, digging out the gems.

Ven drew nearer, and a dwarf wearing glasses.

"Hm? Who are you?" The dwarf asked curiously.

"I'm Ventus," Ven began with a smile. "But you can call me…"

"Robbers!" shouted a scowling dwarf. "Hide!"

The dwarves all took off at once, hiding themselves from Ven and Levina behind rocks.

"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to scare you," said Ven awkwardly, rubbing his cheek.

"Yeah we're not robbers!" Levina told them.

A fat dwarf popped his head out from behind a rock. "Really?" He said with happy bright eyes.

"You didn't come to steal our gemstones?" A drowsy-faced dwarf asked?

"That's pretty terrible, treating us like robbers. I'm just looking for someone," Ven said desperately, hoping they'd understand if he explained. "His name is Terra, he's dressed kind of like me, and he's about this tall…"

"Who cares!" interrupted the angry looking dwarf. "You won't trick me!"

"Never heard of him," answered a dwarf whose cheeks went pink for some reason whenever he looked at Levina.

Feeling stuck, Ven let out a little sigh. "Um, hey, it's a bit hard to talk to you like this, so why don't you come out?"

"We won't hurt you, we promise!" Levina told them.

"It's a trap! Nobody move!" Grumpy shouted again.

_'Well in that case, we guess we have no choice.' _Ven thought smiling at Levina who nodded to Ven's plan.

"Right then, we'll have to come to you!" Ven declared.

The two ran towards at the dwarves and it became an unruly game of cat and mouse.

* * *

At about the same time, Terra touched down on the same world, in a gloomy castle a little way off from where Ventus and Levina were.

As he went to get a feel for his surroundings, a strange voice echoed all around. Terra hid behind a pillar to investigate the presence.

"Man trapped in the mirror, come forth from the dark depths of the universe. Ride fast on the raging winds! Now!" The voice echoed.

It was a woman wrapped in a black cape and wearing a crown. She must be a queen Terra assumed as the woman was standing before a huge mirror that reflected her entire body, both hands raised in the air. As she did, something like strange black flames began to burn inside the mirror.

"Show me your face," the Queen ordered, and a huge mask-like face rose up in the mirror.

An eerie, unearthly voice came from the mirror. "What is it you wish to ask?"

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?" the Queen asked the Magic Mirror.

"I see a young girl gathering flowers. Her humble beauty is stunning." The mirror replied.

"What are you saying!?" The Queen, beside herself with rage, turned back to the mirror. "What is her name?" She pressed.

"Her lips are as red as rose, her hair shines black as ebony, her skin is white as snow," the Magic Mirror continued, and the Queen closed her eyes.

She muttered one name. "Princess Snow White!"

"How dazzling she is! That girl's heart is filled with light," finished the Magic Mirror, words dripping with praise, and disappeared.

_'A princess—with a heart filled with light. Is this Snow White girl one of the princesses of heart?' _Terra thought to himself. '_If Snow White is a princess of heart, then there's a chance Master Xehanort came to this world after her.' _

Terra came out from behind the pillar, and moved towards the Queen.

The Queen turned to Terra "Who goes there?"

"I am Terra. I'm looking for someone. Do you know of someone called Master Xehanort?" He asked.

"I've never heard such a name." the Queen replied in an agitated tone.

"I see, that's that then," Terra replied, turning away.

"Wait," the Queen called to his back. "Hm, yes… if you do something for me, I'll ask this mirror the whereabouts of Xehanort for you."

Terra turned, and saw that the Queen was smiling unpleasantly at him.

"The mirror will know?" He asked.

"Are you saying I would lie?" the Queen returned.

_'If the Queen asks something I can't do, then I just won't do it.' _ Terra thought feeling the darkness within his heart pulsate trying to surface through.

"Kill the girl known as Snow White. If it goes well, take her still-beating heart as proof, and bring it to me in this box." The Queen held out a small box.

Terra stared at the box, wondering. _'She wants to me kill her?' What for and keeping her heart in that tiny box…is just wrong.' _He thought and asked the Queen, "What do you mean, her heart?"

"What else could I mean her precious little heart of gold?" The Queen snorted. "There's nothing meaningful in something as fickle as the human heart."

_'The human heart is fickle…? _ Terra pondered. '_So what does she mean then?'_He thought for a second, and then casually turned his line of questioning casually to the fundamental doubt. "Why are you after Snow White?"

"You do not need to know. However, I will say this. I am the only light that needs be." The Queen told him.

_'I hadn't thought there was any light to this Queen, but first of all, there must be something significant about Snow White's heart full of light that the mirror spoke of. I have absolutely no intention of taking Snow White's heart like the Queen is asking. However, there is a high chance that she is a princess of light, so it seems like a good idea to go meet her.' _Terra thought grazing the box with his fingers which was big enough for a heart

"Where is Snow White?" Terra asked the queen.

"The mirror said she was picking flowers. I suppose that means she is in the flowery fields outside the castle."

"Got it." Terra began to walk away staring at the box in his hand. He wasn't about to take some one's life, especially not a princess of heart. He would tell Snow White of the Queen's plan to murder her and tell her to get to a safe hiding spot. Behind his back, a horrible smile appeared on the Queen's face.

* * *

Leaving the mirror's alcove, Terra ran through the gloomy castle, which was filled with Unversed. '_I wonder why they are appearing in this number._' He thought making his keyblade appear. Terra cut them down as he continued on.

Underground he came into a courtyard, and then leaving the courtyard he left the castle, finding himself in a field that seemed unbelievably beautiful after the dankness of the castle. Flowers grew in wild masses, and little birds sang. In the middle of this flowery field, one woman was picking flowers.

_'Lips red as rose, hair shining black as ebony, skin as white as snow—there's no mistaking it, she has to be Snow White.' _Terra thought staring at how beautiful she was in person.

Terra moved closer, and Snow White turned.

"Oh, who are you?" she asked with a smile, and not a trace of timidity.

"Aren't you afraid?" Terra asked her.

She tilted her head. "Why should I be?"

Standing there with her flowers, Terra could feel pure light coming from her. '_I'm sure she is a princess of heart after all.' _

"Do you need something?" she asked.

Terra hid the box behind his hand which was intended to have the princess's heart in. "Do you know anything about a Master Xehanort?" Terra returned.

"Xehanort? I've never heard of them." Snow White shook her head.

"Oh…" Terra replied slightly disappointed. '_Looks like Master Xehanort hasn't come here yet._' Just as Terra began to worry what he should do next, his thoughts were interrupted. Sensing a strange presence, Terra looked up. Right near the two of them appeared—

"Unversed!" Terra yelled, summoning his keyblade to hand.

"Aahhh!" Snow White yelled frightened, ran the opposite way, away from the castle.

"Wait! It's dangerous by yourself!" Terra called out to her.

Terra went to chase after her, but an Unversed stood in his way.

"Get out of my way!" Terra yelled, swinging his keyblade down and destroying the Unversed in one blow. But, a whole bunch of Unversed appeared, blocking his way. Terra kept swinging his keyblade.

* * *

Ven and Levina had managed to get all seven of the dwarves out of their hiding place, and were explaining themselves to them. Being introduced to the strangers some of the dwarves slowly began opening to them.

"Please believe me! We're not robbers!" Ven told them.

"That's what all robbers say! You won't fool us!" Grumpy angrily said waving his pick axe.

Some of them were looking at Ven and Levina with concern, but most seemed to not believe them.

"…Fine. I guess we should just leave." Ven frowned. "C'mon Levina, let's get out of here."

Levina followed Ven out of the entrance of the mine. She could see the sad look on his face. She knew all Ven wanted was to make new friends with people from other worlds. That's how he's always been.

Rejected, Ven began to trudge towards the entrance to the mine. '_The very first people I meet on the very first world I visit and this is how…,' Ven_ suddenly thought_. 'Wait, now that I think about it, I wonder if there are other people on this world.'_

Ven stopped and turned back towards the dwarves. "Oh, hey. Is there anywhere else I might find people?"

"There's a castle just as you leave the forest," Doc answered despite everything, bringing a smile to Ven's face.

"Gotcha. Thank you," He said with gratitude, and the two left the mine.

_'The dwarfs didn't seem like they were bad people, but it seems like it would take a lot for someone to get past their suspicion of robbers.' _Levina thought.

They left the rocky mountain where they first touched down on, sights on the forest, but—

"Ahh! What is that?!" Levina screamed.

The way ahead was blocked by creatures either of them had never seen. "These must be the Unversed threat my Dad was telling us about back home!" Levina said making her keyblade appear.

The unversed pounced, and the two keyblade wielders fought back with their keyblades. Ven fought out all his mortification at being treated like a robber.

"There's no way we'll lose!" Ven declared.

The two ran from the rocky mountain, cutting down the Unversed as he went, and found a little house surrounded by a forest.

_'Is this where the dwarves from before live?' _Ven pondered curiously.

Just as Ven quietly tried to peek in the window, he heard a girl scream. Almost falling backwards, Ven looked at Levina. "Was that you?" He asked her.

"No, it wasn't me," Levina told him. "It came from the forest!"

"Looks like someone's in trouble!" Ven said to her. "Let's go!"

Unlike the bright forest from before, this place was dark and full of damp air thanks to the trees growing tall and dense, blocking all sunlight.

Deep within this forest there was a girl crouching. Ven and Levina ran over to find that the girl was squatting there crying.

"What's wrong?" Ven asked in concern.

"Are you alright?" Levina asked.

Wiping her eyes gently, the girl looked at the two strangers with her bright doe brown eyes. "The trees… the trees are attacking me."

"It's okay. You were probably seeing things," Ven said to her gently. "Sometimes our mind makes us see things that aren't there when we're afraid," He said encouragingly, putting his hand on her shoulder. It was something Aqua had told Ven once.

At those words, the girl finally looked up. She was a very cute girl with white skin, red lips and black hair.

Levina stared at the girl with shining bright eyes. '_She looks just like one of the princesses from those fairy tale books._' She thought happily.

"Thank you. I think I'm feeling better, "The girl told them. "I'll be fine soon. But I wonder if there isn't somewhere to rest… Is there anywhere nearby?"

"Well, there's a little house just up ahead." Levina told her smiling gently.

We'll go with you." Ven held out his hand and helped the girl stand slowly. "I'm Ventus. But please, call me Ven and this is my best friend Levina."

"Thank you, Ven," She smiled at the boy. "Thank you, Levina. I'm Snow White," said the girl with a shy smile.

_'This is great, she isn't treating us like robbers or is scared of us.' _ Ven thought happily.

"Okay. Well then, let's go!" Ven smiled.

The three began to walk, Snow White's hand gently held her two saviors while they led her out of the forest.

* * *

The battle over, Terra put his keyblade away in the field of flowers, catching his breath a little.

_'While I was fighting those Unversed, I completely lost track of Snow White,' _ Terra thought and smiled a little. '_Good there's no way I was going to kill someone as innocent as her. But then again, she said she didn't know anything about Master Xehanort either. In that case, the only lead left on this world is that mirror.'_

Terra headed back towards the castle.

_'I wonder what it means to be a princess of heart. Are there more of them in other worlds?' _Terra's thoughts were flooded with so many questions_. 'What does it mean to have a heart full of light?_ 'Terra was able to sense light too. '_But, I never assumed my own heart was filled with light. I wonder why that is.'_

_'I don't have enough power to suppress the darkness—but, then again, Master Xehanort was saying that I should control the darkness. There's no mistake, there is darkness inside my heart. But, isn't that true of anyone's heart? So, if you just don't let the darkness control you, isn't that enough? I want to turn these doubts I'm feeling all over again on Master Xehanort and see what he has to say.'_

Leaving the courtyard and making his way through the underground waterway, Terra found himself in the mirror's room again.

The Queen stood in front of the mirror.

"Look who has the nerve to come back here," she said, turning to Terra with a face full of rage.

"What do you mean?" Terra casually asked.

"Why did you not take Snow White's heart?" the Queen pressed, immediately.

_'It looks like she can consult that mirror to know what's happening elsewhere.' _ Terra thought scowling at the mirror.

"I was never going to do it from the start. You said you yourself you were light, but your jealous heart is stained with darkness," Terra said.

"Darkness, me?!" The Queen's body began to shake with anger. "Man of the mirror! Swallow him in!"

Terra readied his keyblade.

But, the Magic Mirror spoke, "I cannot. I can only answer questions with the truth."

"You dare to disobey me!" The Queen's body trembled even more violently, and then an ominous red aura began to surround her.

_'Is that—the power of darkness?' _Terra wondered holding his keyblade tightly in his hand ready for anything.

When her rage reached its peak, the Queen picked up a flask of green potion that was sitting on a table nearby and flung it at the mirror. The flask broke and potion ran down the Magic Mirror, causing the mask inside to groan.

"Ughhh…"

Then, it roared as a strong light shot from the mirror.

"What!" Terra exclaimed.

The moment the light dizzied him, Terra was swallowed into the mirror. Inside, many masks lined up ominously in the darkness. The Magic Mask, swallowed by a heart of darkness, began to laugh as he attacked Terra. It felt as though the line of them reflected forever, like holding one mirror up to another.

_'But the real one has to be here somewhere.' _Terra began furiously swinging his keyblade at the many masks.

Swinging down at the fakes, Terra worked his way towards the one mask with a different expression. He swung his keyblade down on it. It was over disappointingly soon.

The mirror let out a cry—and spat Terra out with a shower of light.

"…How did you get out!" the Queen moaned, and then she screamed. The Magic Mirror was already back to its normalcy.

"I want you to ask the mirror the whereabouts of Master Xehanort." Terra closed in on the Queen, keyblade in hand.

Head down in mortification, the Queen asked the mirror, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, where is this Xehanort!"

The mask in the mirror was silent for a moment, and then it spoke. "He is beyond light and darkness, in the wastelands of an ancient battle…"

"Is that all?" Terra asked, but his question was wasted. The mirror remained silent.

"Thank you for your co-operation," He told the Queen and the mirror, putting his keyblade away and heading off.

_'If Master Xehanort isn't on this world, then I have nothing more to do here. Snow White, filled with light, and the Queen, stained with darkness. And the truth-telling mirror. I wonder which one the mirror saw more of in me?' _Terra thought, and he left that world behind.

* * *

Ven and Levina emerged from the forest with Snow White reaching the little house they'd thought was safe. The door wasn't even locked, so they were able to enter with ease. Seeing that the every-day objects in the house were all one size smaller than usual, there was no mistaking that this was where the dwarves lived.

"I think you'll be safe here, but just in case, we'll go take a look around." Ven said to Snow White.

"Thank you…," Snow White said to them and then yawned. "Oh dear, I feel so tired."

"You should rest then," said Levina said to her gently, leaving the little house trailing after Ven.

_'The dwarves still aren't home yet. If they find out I snuck into their house then they'll probably get mad at us and call us robbers again, but there doesn't seem to be other safe place for Snow White around here.' _ Ven thought walking around the little house.

Levina saw Ven's face was blushing crimson. "Looks like you've been thinking a lot about Snow White." She said to him.

"Huh?" Ven asked rubbing the back of his head. "N-No…I just…," He stammered as his cheeks became redder.

Levina snickered at Ven's red face. "So you were thinking about her?"

Ven timidly nodded his head. "It's just that…she kind of reminds me of you." Ven confessed.

"Me?" Levina asked. "What are you trying to say Ven?"

"Uh…," Ven couldn't get the right words out. "What I mean to say is…that she's nice like you." Ven smiled at his friend.

Levina smiled and the two continued exploring the area. They didn't see any Unversed. Behind the little house flowed a small river, and flowers bloomed here and there. Relieved, the two went back inside.

"It's okay. There are no evil spirits around here—uh." Ven stopped in his tracks.

Standing around Snow White where she sat on the floor were the seven dwarves.

"You two again! You dirty robbers! What are you doing here?!" Grumpy yelled.

"Wait, they're the one who helped me," Snow White said, standing up for them against Grumpy's condemnation, but the dwarves all had their hackles up.

"Don't let him trick you, Princess Snow White," Doc warned.

"Get out now!" Grumpy added, yelling.

"Please don't chase them away, I beg you," Snow White appealed. "Before Ven and Levina helped me, something terrible almost happened to me." She hung her head.

_'Something terrible…?' _Levina thought in concern."What happened?" Ven asked, the words having caught his attention.

Snow White looked up at Ven. "In the flowery field on the other side of the forest, I met a man with a key-shaped sword, and I was attacked by monsters the likes of which I'd never seen."

"A key-shaped sword? You can't mean Terra?" Ven muttered unconsciously.

Doc looked sideways at Ven. "You mean that man made those monsters attack you, Princess?"

"Terra would never!" Ven denied, furiously.

"That's right! He's our friend!" Levina added.

Surrounded by the dwarves, Snow White also looked a little worried. "Y-you're right. If he's your friend, I'm sure he wouldn't have."

"Princess! You mustn't trust them," Doc shouted, as Snow White gazed sadly at Ven.

"Yeah! They're a bunch of liars!" Grumpy yelled shaking his fist at the two of them.

_'No matter what I say, these dwarves will never believe us.' _Ven thought.

"What's it going to take for you to believe us!?" Levina yelled at them getting annoyed by the dwarfs' constant accusations.

"We'll prove to you that Terra's not the person you think he is!" Ven told them. Ven flew out of the little house followed by Levina close behind him. '_If the man Snow White was talking about really is Terra, maybe I can see him.' _Ven thought eagerly.

The dark forest was just as full of Unversed as it was when they had saved Snow White just before.

"Get out of our way!" Ven yelled at the unversed.

Knowing if he didn't hurry he wouldn't get to see Terra, Ven began to panic. Knowing every second was precious, he desperately began swinging his keyblade at the Unversed. He ran out of the dark forest, making his way towards the flowery field completely forgetting about Levina for the moment since his thoughts were so preoccupied about Terra.

"Ven! Wait for me!" Levina shouted but her call fell on deaf ears. She was surrounded by an unruly group of Unversed that began advancing on her. She held her keyblade tightly and continued swinging her keyblade trying to catch up to her friend.

"Terraaa!" Ven shouted, even forgetting to dismiss his keyblade. But there was no answer. He walked further into the field, looking for Terra. However, he couldn't sense Terra's presence.

"Terra…" Ven stopped shouting, and hung his head. _'I wanted to see him…' _He thought sadly.

At that moment, something rolled up and hit Ven in the foot.

"Huh?" He looked down.

It was a red apple. Ven picked it up, and looked around. A little way off was an old lady carrying a basket full of apples?

Ven ran over to her, and held out the apple. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but you dropped this."

"Ohhh, thank you," The old woman said graciously. "This one is very special." The old woman softly cackled smiling unpleasantly as she took the apple, but when she saw what Ven held in his other hand, her shoulders shook in surprise.

"That weapon! I've seen one of those before." The old woman said staring down at Ven's keyblade.

"Ma'am, do you know Terra?" Ven asked eagerly and then thought, '_Just because she's seen a keyblade before doesn't mean she knows Terra, but I have to ask.'_

However, the old lady's next words were completely unexpected. "I know him. He threatened me with that weapon, telling me to tell him about a Xehanort."

_'Terra threatened an old lady? No. There's no way he would do something like that. But Snow White said she was attacked by monsters she'd never seen before after meeting a man with something a keyblade.' _

"Terra wouldn't do that," Ven denied, almost as if talking to himself. "Hey, where is he now?"

"Hmmm I don't know," The old woman said staring at Ven's keyblade. Are you going to threaten me too?" The old woman shivered as though afraid.

"Huh? No, I wasn't going to…" Ven stopped talking. '_I wouldn't do something like that, and neither would Terra. But… if the people of this world are telling the truth… well, why would they think such a thing?'_

Watching the old woman head for the forest carrying the large basket of apples on her arm, he saw Levina running over to him. She panted trying to catch her breath.

"Levina! Are you ok?!" Ven asked her.

"You left me in that forest to fight those creatures!" Levina yelled at him.

"Sorry," Ven apologized. "I thought I could get to see Terra, I need to tell him something important.

"What's so important that you need to leave me behind?!" Levina asked him.

Ven let out a sigh. "It's nothing…," He told her. "I promise I won't leave you behind again." Then he looked up to the sky. "Terra… what have you gone and done?"

'_I'm sure Terra's not on this world anymore,' _Levina thought to herself as she looked at Ven's worried face. '_He seems to be really worried about him. Maybe we'll find Terra in a different world.'_

Ven opened a door to the Lanes Between, and the two headed for a new world.

* * *

"You should doubt Terra, doubt him as much as you can," muttered Vanitas, watching Ven set off again from afar.

_'The larger his doubt grows, the more confused Ventus' heart will be, and the more he will begin to stray. That's another one of our goals.'_

Vanitas headed for the forest, and made sure that the old woman who was the Queen in disguise didn't see him come out of the trees.

"Well, I just hope they help me out by getting things done right." Vanitas grinned, and the dark trees stirred. The Unversed appeared and surrounded him. Then, Vanitas made a dark corridor appear, and vanished.

* * *

Snow White timidly took a red apple presented to her by an old woman, and took one bite. The old woman's mouth twisted into a suspicious smile. Then Snow White gave a little cry, and crumpled to the floor.

"Now I am the most beautiful in the land!" The old woman cackled.

The old woman laughed loudly. Her true form was Snow White's stepmother, the Queen. Still laughing, she left the house. Suddenly, the dwarves' house was struck by a storm. Lightning flashed in the sky.

Along with the animals that had let them know of Snow White's crisis, the dwarves rushed home.

"Hey, witch!" yelled Grumpy riding a deer.

The Queen hurried off. The dwarves wouldn't be able to follow her if she returned to the castle. She ran through the dark forest, and climbed the cliff. She was going to get away…!

The dwarves chased her desperately.

Climbing the cliff, the Queen looked back down at the dwarves. Her fate was sealed then and there.

However, Snow White did not awaken.

Unable to bring themselves to bury Snow White, exceptionally beautiful even in death, the dwarves placed her in a coffin they made from glass and gold, and prayed beside her every day.

* * *

When Aqua touched down in that forest, it was quite a while after the events which had unfolded and her friends were probably someplace else by now.

Deep in the forest, by the side of a little house, dwarves with their caps respectfully removed hung their heads. In front of them sat a large glass box-like object.

"Has something happened?" Aqua asked, and each of the dwarves looked up.

"Princess Snow White has…," began the bespectacled dwarf named Doc, but he looked back at the glass box, and hung his head once more.

_'What on earth is in that box?' _Aqua thought peering towards the strange box.

Aqua knelt down and peered through the box. Inside slept a beautiful woman with red lips, jet-black hair, and snow-white skin, surrounded by flowers.

_'Is this box… a coffin?' _She wondered sadly.

Aqua dropped her gaze, and then turned to the dwarves.

The dwarves poured forth their memories.

"She was such a kind person." Happy said.

"She sang and danced." Sleepy told her while yawning.

"She told us a lovely story." Grumpy said sadly.

"A tale of love. Of meeting a prince." Sneezy said to her while letting out another sneeze.

"Before we left for work, she gave us a kiss." Bashful replied blushing.

"Snow White's purity changed us for the better." Doc said to Aqua.

_'So this woman's name was Snow White?' _Aqua thought looking at the coffin.

"I can see you loved Snow White dearly. Why did this happen?" Aqua asked, hoping she could do something to help these dwarves. She could see they were terribly sad. Actually, as Aqua turned to look at Snow White inside the coffin, it seemed to her that life hadn't truly left the woman.

"The Queen, jealous of Snow White's beauty, did this. She changed herself into an old woman and made her eat a poisoned apple," Doc answered, and unable to stop himself, he sobbed hard.

"By the time we got back it was too late. We chased after the Queen and finished her off, but… the princess still wouldn't open her eyes," Happy said a round-bodied dwarf.

"Isn't there any way to help her?" Aqua asked, and the dwarves looked at each other.

"Maybe there's something in the Queen's castle, but…," Happy began, and the dwarves hung their heads again.

"You guys can stay here shivering in your boots if you like! I'm not afraid of that witch's castle!" Grumpy shouted, and went to march off towards the castle.

Doc stopped him. "No, leave it. I hear that castle is crawling with evil spirits."

_'So many evil spirits would definitely be a heavy task for these guys. Then—I should go.' _Aqua thought looking down at the dwarves who loved their princess very much.

Aqua stood up from her spot by the coffin. "Well then, I'll go."

"R-Really?" Bashful stammered.

"It's fine. Please leave it to me." Aqua smiled.

"Well then… Thank you so much, we're counting on you," Doc answered, and then he began to sob again.

"Which direction would the castle be?" Aqua asked them.

"Just beyond this forest," Happy answered.

"Got it," Aqua said, nodding to him and walking away. '_There's no way I can ignore people in trouble.'_

* * *

The forest that spread out beyond the little house was very ominous and crawling with Unversed.

"What on earth…," Aqua muttered, destroying them. Unversed had appeared in huge numbers on the first world she'd visited, too._'Has Snow White's sleep got anything to do with the strange happenings in the Realm?'_

'Snow White continues to sleep… I wonder why I knew she had to wake up.'

Thinking about it, Aqua stumbled upon a certain memory.

It had been several years ago. Ven had come to the Land of Departure unconscious, and he'd only continued to sleep.

"Why are you still sleeping?" She remembered asking Ven as he slept in a bed. It wasn't her curiosity that led to ask the sleeping boy this question. It was Levina's, but orders from Master Eraqus prevented her from seeing him when he slept. '_Back then, I'd wondered if maybe he would never wake up. But it's fine, for sure. She will wake up.'_

Aqua left the flowery field, heading for the castle. The castle was filled with an ominous atmosphere, too.

Aqua could see a beautiful youth standing there, the white clothes and red cape he wore contrasting completely with the castle's atmosphere.

"Are you okay?" Aqua called to him.

"What on earth happened to this castle…? Was I dreaming that I heard a beautiful princess singing here?" He replied in a voice, fittingly beautiful like the rest of him. He then looked at Aqua's direction.

"Princess- Do you know Princess Snow White?" Aqua asked him.

"It was only once… but I met her following her singing voice. Isn't she in this castle?" He asked, his finely-shaped brows furrowing.

"No, she… Snow White was forced to eat a poisoned apple by the Queen…" Aqua told him in dismay.

The youth went pale. "What?! Where is she?"

A small smile appeared on Aqua's face as she thought,_ 'Ah, this youth is in love with Snow White. I'm sure one of the dwarves said something about this.'_

"Deep in the forest… Please go." Aqua told him.

"Understood. Maybe there's something I can do." The youth nodded to Aqua and dashed away.

"And I should do what I can, too." Aqua said to herself determinedly.

Aqua pushed further into the castle. '_The inside is full of Unversed, too. I wonder if the darkness of that Queen the dwarves spoke of called them here?'_

Coming out of the underground waterway, Aqua found a room with a large mirror placed inside. The room was filled with a strange atmosphere.

"What is this presence…" She thought out loud.

Aqua walked up to the mirror at the far end of the room. At that moment, the mirror—the Magic Mirror—shot out a beam of light and swallowed Aqua.

"What—!" She exclaimed.

She was in a world of pitch-black darkness. Many masks were floating in mid-air. They surrounded Aqua and began to attack.

"—Unversed?" Aqua readied her keyblade, and began swinging at the masks.

_'It's no use, there's no end to them…' _She thought holding her keyblade while continuing to fight.

An endless line of masks attacked. Unable to defeat them all and out of breath, Aqua cast her gaze around and noticed one mask with a different expression lined up with the rest.

_'That must be the real one!' _She thought running at the mask.

Aqua beat it down, and her body was wrapped in light and returned to the same room as before.

"What on earth…?" Aqua muttered, as right before her eyes, the light left the mirror.

"With the Queen gone, my duty is now done," He said, and the mask inside the mirror disappeared. At the same time, the evil presence covering the castle eased a little.

_'The darkness can pull itself back, I suppose. But I still don't know how to wake Snow White…' _She thought_. _

Aqua headed back towards the dwarves, leaving the castle behind her.

* * *

The youth was gazing steadfastly at Snow White's face, the dwarves wailing all around him. It seemed he hadn't been able to help.

As Aqua drew closer to the dwarves she saw the youth press his lips to Snow White's. He hung his head, and then Snow White stirred and opened her eyes.

"Snow White!" the dwarves cried.

Snow White stretched slowly, and sat up. Then, she reached out for the youth before her. The dwarves clung to each other in joy. The youth quietly took her up in his arms.

"I'm so glad Snow White woke up," Aqua murmured, smiling to herself too.

_'In the end, I didn't do—no, I couldn't do—anything. And Snow White woke up anyway. It's just like back then. Yeah, just like when Ven woke up. He had slept and slept, and then suddenly woke up. He was a bit fuzzy afterwards, but at least his eyes were open.' _Aqua smiled remembering this happy memory while watching the dwarves joyously crowd around their woken princess.

Snow White kissed the faces of each and every dwarf as they hugged her in joy. Then, the youth took her hand, and they began to walk away.

The dwarves cheered, looking both happy and a little wistful.

_'Snow White and the youth are setting off on a journey. Open your eyes and there is a journey waiting. Maybe… it was time for for all of us to go on a journey too', _Aqua thought, and turning her back on the high-spirited dwarves, she departed from that world.

* * *

**There you have it the adventure in Dwarf Woodlands. It seems as though Xehanort's plans are slowly going underway, despite Vanitas having his own agenda. But what about Mickey, Donald, and Goofy? Will their plans be successful in training the unsuspecting town girl from Enchanted Dominion to help fight against the darkness? What new worlds and friends will our main heroes encounter? Find out next time! **


	5. Castle of Dreams

**Finally finished with this chapter. Ugh this one really dragged out a lot! However, we did manage to add some romantic drama between all the characters :D So that's a plus right? **

* * *

Chapter 5: Castle of Dreams

In a kingdom far away, the towns people were getting ready for a spectacular ball. The ball was for the kingdom's only heir to the throne. The prince would choose his bride and finally be wed, something the king of this realm was eagerly waiting for because of his old age. In one of the kingdom's estate there lived a young maiden with her stepmother and stepsisters. The maiden's father had passed away from an unknown illness, unable to bear the loss of his wife, so the she was forced to stay with her stepmother and stepsisters who forced the woman to do chores around the house. Simply because they were jealous of her the young woman's kindness and beauty. So they forced her to become their personal servants. Her only friends were the mice living in her home. Despite the maiden's situation, there were rare moments where she would be happy and wanting to go to the ball made her happier than ever. The young maiden's name was Cinderella...

Cinderella was idly sitting in her room dreamily staring out the window. The castle could be seen from her window. She smiled widely daydreaming of what it would be like to dance with the prince. She looked towards her makeshift closet. There was an unfinished pink dress hanging on it. The dress had belonged to her mother. She had no time to finish the dress because all the chores she was forced to do. She heavily sighed staring at the castle again.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken when she heard the cry of a small mouse.

"Cinderelly! Cinderelly!" The mouse cried out urgently climbing up the bed post. "Come on! Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry!"

Concerned, Cinderella turned towards her mouse companion. "Now Jaq, what's all the fuss about?"

Fixing his red pointy hat and large red shirt, which was obviously too big for the tiny mouse replied, "Somebody new in the house! Somebody I never saw 'efore!"

"Oh," Cinderella smiled. "A new friend? Where is he?"

"In the trap trap!" Jaq exclaimed urgently. "Down the stairs!"

"Oh dear..." Cinderella worriedly walked out of her room and down the steps to the living room.

* * *

Ventus paced around in the large mouse cage. Somehow coming to this world had made him mouse sized. Levina was nowhere in sight. "What is going on?" Ven wondered tightly grabbing onto the bars of the mouse cage he yelled, "Somebody tell me how I got so _SMALL_!"

Dropping his head in defeat since no one could hear him. Ven suddenly heard a familiar giggle from the corner and looked up. He saw Levina, just as small as he was.

"Hey, did you get out?" Ven asked her.

Beside Levina was a mouse, much more chubbier than Jaq. The mouse politely waved at Ven.

"A mouse?" Ven blinked in surprise and then crossed his arms over his chest. "So are you gonna get me out of here?"

Levina placed her hand on her hips while walking towards the cage and told him, "You ditched me back in the forest remember?"

"I said I was sorry!" Ven pouted.

Levina looked towards her mouse friend. "What do you think Gus, should we let him out?"

The mouse named Gus scratched his as if he were thinking about it and then shook his head. "Gus, Gus say leave him in there." He then ran off into a mouse hole as if he had something important to do.

"Sorry Ven, but the mouse has spoken." Levina said cheekily.

"W-What? So you're going to leave me here?" Ven asked her.

"Yup, now we're even," Levina answered walking away from her friend. "Besides I've found a new friend, someone who won't leave me in the middle of a forest!"

Ven just stared at his retreating friend dumbfounded. "I don't believe this...," He sighed. "She replaced me with a mouse?!"

Levina stopped in her tracks as she crashed into Cinderella's shoe. She lifted her head up high to look at Cinderella and backed away.

"Oh? Jaq didn't tell me there were two new friends." Cinderella said smiling down at Levina. She then hurried over to the cage where Ven Ven backed away from her. He then toppled over in the cage as Cinderella lifted it. Opening the cage door, Cinderella looked at Ven closely.

"Oh! I've seen mice like you and your friend here before." She said in surprise.

"Mouse?" Ven and Levina repeated.

"We aren't mice!" Levina told her. "We're people! Like you...sort of except tiny..." She groaned dropping her head in defeat. "Ok... so we're mice..."

"Jaq, you better explain things to them." Cinderella told her mouse companion.

Walking into the cage Jaq said, "Now now, rittle guys. Rake it reasy, Not a worry about." He smiled at them. "We like a you, Cinderelly like a you too. She's a nice, very nice nice."

Ven smiled walking out of cage joining Levina.

"Name a Jaq!" Jaq said proudly.

"I'm Ventus, call me Ven," Ven introduced himself. "This is Levina. "

"Zug-Zug!" Jaq replied as his word for ok. "Need a something, ask a Jaq!"

Cinderella smiled at her new friends. She was about to say something when she heard voices bellowing her for her and sighed. "Oh well, time to get to my chores," She smiled gently at Ven and Levina. "I'll see you two in a little while." She then walked away to do more of her chores.

Seeing Cinderella leave, Jaq frowned.

"Wow, guess she's got her hands full here." Ven said.

"Yeah, doesn't anyone ever help her?" Levina asked.

"Work, work, work!" Jaq answered. "Stepmother keep a Cinderelly busy all day!"

"She didn't seem to mind, though." Ven replied.

"She seemed really happy about it." Levina added.

"No, not a Cinderelly, she work a hard!" Jaq said to them smiling big. "She gotta dream -BIG dream! Dream gonna come a true!"

Levina smiled at Ven. "We've heard about wanting dreams coming true from our other friends."

"That sounds like somebody we both know." Ven smiled remembering Terra's words of becoming a keyblade master. He then looked at Jaq and asked, "Hey maybe you can help us find him. His name's Terra! You seen him?"

Jaq shook his head answering, "No, no, never seen a Terra 'efore."

Hearing this Ven sighed and shrugged, "Oh well, it was worth a shot."

Excited being with new friends Jaq smiled. "Come on! Follow me!" He told his new friends. "Gotta see the house!" He beamed running off towards a mouse hole.

"H-Hey!" Ven called out to Jaq.

"Wait for us!" Levina yelled.

* * *

The two followed Jaq into the mouse hole into the interior of the house. There was planks of wood and nails holding the house together. Things were a lot harder being mouse-sized as the two newcomers from this discovered. What seemed like an easy task of running up the steps, normal sized, it was like climbing up a gigantic mountain slope. Along the way up, the two met up with Gus, who helped them traverse through the mouse hole and up to Cinderella's room.

Climbing up the bed and towards the window sill, Ven and Levina could see the entire kingdom from here. They stared brightly at the castle which was shining like a lantern in the night sky.

"What's that?" Ven asked curiously.

"That's a palace - King's palace!" Jaq answered happily.

"Gonna be a ball tonight!" Gus added happily sitting on the window sill and gazing at the castle in front of him.

"That's so nice!" Levina said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"A ball?" Ven scratched his head. "What's a ball?"

"Dance, big dance!" Gus answered.

"With the prince, prince!" Jaq added.

"A dance?" Ven questioned again.

Realizing that Ven didn't understand what the word ball or dance was, Gus hopped over to the bed and shimmied down the blanket. He climbed over to an old music box on a nearby wooden table and began turning the handle. Ven and Levina heard gentle, yet soothing music coming from the music box. The three of them jumped from the window landing on the wooden floor.

"Like this Ven, Ven." Jaq told him and politely bowed to Levina extending his hand out to her.

Levina giggled lightly taking the mouse's hand and the two began waltzing. Watching with delight Ven smiled. "Oh, now I get it," He said. "Mind if I give it a try?" He asked as the music stopped playing.

Delighted Jaq let of Levina's hand nodding. He climbed up to the music player sitting by Gus's side. Together the mice turned the lever of the music box. Levina laughed a little at her friend as he mimicked Jaq's bow and held out his hand to her.

A smile touched the girl's lips as she took his hand. The two waltzed across the wooden floor as Jaq and Gus watched with smiles on their faces. Ventus was never this close to his friend before. He felt an odd tinge of emotion in his heart.

'_What's this strange feeling in my heart?_' Ven wondered in his head. '_I've never felt this way before, ever. Especially not with Levina_.' It was a strange new feeling, something he'd never felt before. But, he continued to smile at her and Levina did the same as she felt Ven's arm around her back and the other holding her hand gently. They were just best friends having some fun in a new world. They both stared into each other eyes. Without realizing, Ven drew his face closer to Levina.

"V-Ven...," Levina's face flushed as she drew her head back. "W-What are you doing?"

The boy pulled back sheepishly smiling. "Sorry, I was just getting into the dance." He beamed at her not realizing that his foot was caught in pink ribbon that was lying on the floor as they continued to dance. Ven got his feet tangled in the ribbon and fell on top of his friend. Seeing their new friends topple to the floor, Jaq and Gus quickly ran over to their aid.

Levina's face went completely red as her best friend landed on her. "Ventus!" She yelled. "Get off me!"

"Sorry!" Ven apologized quickly getting off her and rubbed his head. "Guess I'm not much of a dancer."

Levina let out a small laugh replying, "No...," She smiled at Ven as Gus helped her up. "It was nice."

"Really?" Ven beamed. "Maybe we can have a ball back home!" He said cheerfully. "Once we all become keyblade masters and dance again!"

Levina smiled at the idea._ 'That would be nice but.._,' Her thoughts trailed off as she looked at Jaq and Gus asking, "Is Cinderella going?"

Jaq and Gus sighed. "I don't know..." They both heard the door open behind them.

Turning around the four of them saw Cinderella walking into her room. She smiled at them and said, "Have you all become friends already?"

Jaq and Gus happily nodded looking at Ven and Levina. They watched Cinderella as she happily hummed a tune as she walked over to her small closet. There was a lovely pink ruffled dress that was in dire need of fixing. Her mouse friends had helped her trimming the dress by borrowing old sashes and ribbons from her step sisters.

"You sure look happy Cinderella." Ven said to her.

Cinderella happily smiled. "I'm going to the royal ball tonight," She happily sighed. "I guess dreams really do come true."

Everyone smiled at Cinderella's happiness and then frowned as they all heard Lady Tremaine and her daughters bellowing for Cinderella.

Cinderella sighed sadly, "Oh well, I guess my dress will have to wait."

"Cinderella!" Lady Tremaine yelled.

"Cinderella!" Shouted Drizella.

"Cinderella! Hurry up!" Screamed an annoyed Anastasia.

"Alright! Alright!" Cinderella gently said. "I'm coming!" She told them leaving her room.

Jaq and Gus frowned.

"Poor Cinderelly..." Gus frowned.

"She not go to the ball..." Jaq said.

"Why not?" Ven asked.

"You see," Jaq answered. "They fix her. Work, work, work."

"She never get her dress done in time." Gus told them.

"That's awful..." Levina said.

Jaq suddenly perked up. "Say! Got an idea!" He said to his friends. "Will Ven Ven and 'Eviny help a Jaq and Gus Gus!"

"Sure, but with what?" Levina asked.

"Fix a up Cinderelly's dress for the ball!" Jaq answered happily.

"But, what do we need to get?" Ven pondered in confusion.

"Look 'round the house!" Gus told him.

"Lots a pretty pretty things!" Jaq beamed. He then looked at the dress. His other mice friends had already taken what they could find lying around the house belonging to Cinderella's step sisters. "Just need a pretty pretty pearl!"

"Big and pretty pearl!" Gus added with a nod.

"Sure, let's do it!" Ven smiled.

"We'll go find whatever we need for the dress." Levina told them.

"Yeah, " Ven replied. "You and Gus set up things here, Jaq."

"Zug Zug!" Jaq nodded to their plan.

The two keyblade wielders headed towards the mouse hole.

"Ven Ven!" Jaq called out to them causing them to turn around. "Care fee Roosafee!"

"What? Roos-a-fee?" Levina repeated.

"What's a Roos-a-fee?" Ven asked the mice.

"Roosefee's a cat cat!" Gus warned them.

"He's mean and sneaky!" Jaq added. "Jump 'atch you, bite 'atch you!"

"A cat huh?" Levina pondered scratching her head.

"We'll keep a lookout for it!" Ven thanked his new friends and the two headed towards the mouse hole.

* * *

Vanitas ducked behind the leg of the bed as the Levina, Ven and their two new friends disappeared through the mouse hole. A scowl darkened his face; what a bunch of idiots they were dancing around. And the way Ven was _looking_ at Levina was disgusting. Not to mention the way she was looking back at him. An unfamiliar feeling rose up in Vanitas' chest and feeling uncomfortable he shoved it aside and thought about what the rodent had said about "Roosefee".

It was too soon in the game for Vanitas to personally deal with Ven but perhaps he could get a little bit of help...A smile twisted Vanitas' lips upwards and he opened up a corridor of darkness to move to another section of the house. He stepped through and found himself in an area that resembled a kitchen. A quick search revealed no cat so Vanitas continued on his way. It wasn't until his third attempt that he was successful.

Stepping out of the corridor he found himself in a darkened bedroom. A tall and sinister looking woman reclined on a chaise while a rather ugly cat curled up at her feet asleep. The woman was drinking tea and as Vanitas studied her an ugly expression twisted her face. She then stood up and left the room screaming for Cinderella.

Seeing his chance Vanitas made his way over to the cat and with an evil grin he kicked him in the nose. "Wake up you mangy old thing."

Lucifer, or "Roosefee" as the mice had dubbed him, let out an angry yowl and swiped out a paw in Vanitas' general direction as he opened his eyes. Hissing he stood up and eyed Vanitas.

"What's wrong?" Vanitas taunted. "Afraid of a little thing like me? What a loser." He finished the statement by pulling out his keyblade, the Void Gear, stabbing the cat right in the paw.

* * *

Ven and Levina crept out of a mouse hole and into what seemed to be the room of a young woman. A vanity table towered over them from across the room and Levina wrinkled her nose at how it was in disarray. "Whoever sleeps in here really needs to learn how to cle-mmmph!"

Her words were cut off by Ven's hand clamping over her mouth. Nervously he motioned for her to be quiet with his free hand before pointing. Straight ahead of them lay an ugly black and white cat and just beside his paw lay a pretty bead. Levina and Ven exchanged grim glances; they had found the bead and apparently the infamous cat Roofesees.

With a whisper Ven said, "You stay here and keep a lookout. I'll go grab the bead."

"What?" protested Levina loudly. "Why can't I grab the bead?"

"Because," Ven replied with a hiss. "You're not quiet enough."

Levina pouted but watched in silence as Ven tiptoed over to the giant bead. Gingerly he placed his hands on the item and picked up. He turned around with a triumphant grin and Levina rolled her eyes and motioned for him to hurry. As Ven began to tiptoe back Lucifer's eyes suddenly opened and he raised a paw threateningly.

Horrified Levina cried out, "Ven! Behind you!"

Instinctively Ven summoned his keyblade and whirled around just in time to block Lucifer's downward swipe. The cat spit angrily and Levina ran forward. "Ven, toss me the bead!"

As Ven did so Lucifer prepared himself for another swipe. Levina gasped but suddenly balls of yarn came raining down on the vicious looking cat. Ven and Levina looked up and saw Jaq standing on a table above them holding a blue yarn ball. As he threw it and hit the cat the little mouse cried out, "Ven Ven and 'Eviny, Hurry Hurry!"

The two friends nodded and ran back towards the mouse hole. As they reached the entrance they heard Jaq cry out again, this time in fear. The little mouse had fallen from his perch on the table and now Lucifer stalked towards him. Without hesitating, Levina shoved the bead at Ven and raced over to protect the little mouse.

Jumping in front of Jaq, Levina brandished her keyblade bravely and said sternly, " Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The cat hissed and began to swipe at her with his sharp nails. Levina ignored the yells from Ven and concentrated on blocking Lucifer's attacks. To her slight surprise she realized that this is was very similar to training with the balls of light. '_See dad? I _can _do this!' _ Levina thought proudly. Seeing an opening Levina hit the cat squarely on the nose. Lucifer howled in pain and jumped backwards to rub the injured area. Ven was suddenly beside her and the two of them helped Jaq up. The three of them ran back to the mouse hole and disappeared inside to the sounds of Lucifer's angry yowls.

Vanitas watched his prey escape. A scowl was pursed on his lips. The anger inside of him manifested into more Unversed. While he was here, he could definitely cause more damage in this world.

* * *

After her chores, Cinderella walked back up to her room. Dreamily gazing out the window staring at the palace which was now attending to the guests arriving at the ball. "Oh well...," She sighed sadly. "What's a royal ball? After all, I suppose it would be frightfully dull and boring...and completely...," A bright smile touched her lips and she happily sighed thinking of the ball and dancing with the prince. "...Completely wonderful."

"Cinderella!" Ven called out to her.

Immediately Cinderella turned smiling down at Ven, Levina, Gus, and Jaq who had worked so hard on helping fixing her dress just in time for the ball. "Is that my dress?" She asked in delightful surprise.

"Yes," Levina smiled. "It's a present from us."

Jaq and Gus nodded happily holding a lovely beaded necklace for her to wear with her dress.

"Now you have a dress for the ball." Ven smiled at her.

Delighted Cinderella walked over to them taking her new friends in her hand. "Why...why its such a surprise." Cinderella told them happily almost on the verge of tears.

"Hurry Hurry!" Jaq said to her.

"Time to go, Cinderelly!" Gus added. "To the ball!"

Cinderella smiled at her new friends and the mice. She thanked them graciously and went off to get ready for the ball. Ven and Levina smiled as they saw Cinderella rush out of her room to get ready. The four friends sat on the window sill admiring what they had done for Cinderella. After all she did deserve it.

"Jaq, Jaq hope that Cinderelly's dream come a true." Jaq said.

"Gus, Gus want Cinderelly to be happy!" Gus added.

The two mice looked at Ven and Levina and Jaq asked curiously, "What's a Ven Ven and 'Eviny's dream?"

"Funny...I'd never really thought about it before...," Ven answered. "At least until you asked us."

"Our dream...," Levina paused for a moment and then smiled. "My dream is to be a Keyblade Master." She smiled gently squeezing the wayfinder in her pocket.

"Mine too!" Ven told them making his keyblade appear in his hand remembering what he and his friends had shared before they had left the Land of Departure.

Jaq and Gus smiled.

"Hope a Ven Ven and 'Eviny's dream come true too." Jaq smiled.

A smile touched Ven's lips. "I just need to keep on believing, right?" He then thought for a moment, '_But there's something else that my heart wants...I just don't know what that feeling is yet._..' He then smiled at Levina. "Come on we've done all that we can do here."

Levina nodded as Ven touched the armor on his shoulder making his keyblade glider appear as well as his armor. The two mice waved good-bye watching their human friends depart from this world.

* * *

Lady Tremaine and her daughters were ready to go to the royal ball. They were about to leave their lively estate when they heard Cinderella calling out to them and telling to wait.

"Wait!" Cinderella told them while running down the steps in the dress Ven and the others had fixed for her. "Please wait for me!"

Drizella and Anastasia were dumbfounded seeing Cinderella all dressed up for the ball even after finishing all her chores. Lady Tremaine on the other hand kept a calm almost devious exterior. It was clear that there was a darkness deep inside her heart. She would use the darkness from deep within her heart to get what she wanted; which was making Cinderella stay home no matter what. Her happiness was of no concern.

"Do you think my dress will do?" Cinderella asked them happily.

"Cinderella..." Drizella said in shock.

"Mother you can't let her come with us!" Anastasia pleaded.

The two sisters continued pleading with their mother not to allow Cinderella to go to the ball with them.

"Girls please," Lady Tremaine said calmly and gazed at Cinderella's direction. "After all we did make a bargain. Didn't we Cinderella?"

Cinderella simply smiled, she wasn't aware that Jaq, Gus, and all the other mice were watching this ordeal. They too suspected foul play from the stepmother.

"I never go back on my word," Lady Tremaine said to her stepdaughter. Her fingers grazed the beaded necklace around Cinderella's neck. "How very clever," She said with no hint of happiness in her voice as she examined the beaded necklace. "These beads, they give your dress just the right touch." She then looked at her daughters. "Don't you think so, Drizella?"

"No I don't!" Drizella scowled turning her back. "I think she's..." Drizella gasped taking another look at the beaded necklace. In moments she became infuriated with anger. "Why you little thief!" She yelled at Cinderella. "_They're my beads!"_ Ripping the necklace the mice had made for Cinderella, Drizella continued screaming at a distraught and frightened girl. That was just the start, soon the two sisters began ripping at Cinderella's dress and taking back what had belonged to them while Lady Tremaine just watched with an expressionless face.

Jaq and Gus frowned as Drizella and Anastasia stopped defiling Cinderella's personal space at the sound of their mother. They both wanted to do something, but they knew that was impossible. They had wished Ven and Levina were still around, maybe they could've done something to stop the stepmother's wicked plan. Now completely heartbroken in her torn dress, Cinderella watched her stepmother and stepsisters depart for the royal ball. Her heart was in a mess of emotions. She had no idea what to do anymore. The mice watched as Cinderella ran out of the lively estate in tears.

* * *

Terra had just touched down on this world and had wandered into the estate where Cinderella lived. He stopped hearing the sounds of a young woman crying. Concerned, Terra walked over to the young woman and kneeled beside her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

"It's just that my friends made me the most beautiful dress...," Cinderella answered in between sobs. "But my stepmother and stepsisters ruined it. And I was so looking forward to the ball." She cried.

Terra frowned hearing this as he looked at her torn dress. He knew if she continued to be sad and miserable, the darkness would get to her. "Darkness always finds itself into a wounded heart," He told her. "You have to strong. Strength of heart will always carry you through the hardest of trials."

Cinderella continued to sob. "But I...," She began but suddenly Unversed emerged. They must've felt Cinderella's aching heart.

Terra turned around making his keyblade appear. He had to protect Cinderella from them. Swinging his keyblade, Terra made sure that the Unversed wouldn't go anywhere near her. After demolishing them, he turned back to her. She was still sobbing and didn't move from the spot she was in.

"I can't believe...," Cinderella sobbed. "Not anymore..."

Terra was about to say something when a voice from nowhere interrupted him.

"Strength of heart is important," The voice began. "But that's not all you need." Slowly materializing in front of them were tiny fragments of powerful light.

"There's nothing left to believe in..nothing..." Cinderella cried.

"Nothing, my dear?" The voice asked in a loving motherly nature. "Oh, now, you don't really mean that."

The light materialized beside Cinderella and Terra just watched. He had no idea what was going on. '_Did that powerful light radiate from that girl?'_ He thought as he saw a fairly old woman sitting beside Cinderella on the bench. She was covered in a blue magical cape and cloak which was tied together neatly with a pink bow. She carried what appeared to be a magic wand in her hand.

"Oh.. but I do..," Cinderella said to the voice sadly. "It's just no use."

"Nonsense!" The old woman said to her smiling gently. "If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am."

Cinderella looked up at the old woman, her face still tear stricken. Slightly startled she looked at the old woman hopeful. "W-Who are you?"

"Why, child, I am your fairy godmother." The old woman said brightly helping her stand up. "Oh, come now, dry those tears," The Fairy Godmother soothed her. "You can't go to the ball looking like that."

"The ball?" Cinderella frowned looking at her torn dress. "Oh, but I'm not -"

Fairy Godmother just smiled holding out her magic wand in her hand. "Of course you are," She told her. "But we'll have to hurry."

Holding out her magic words, the Fairy Godmother said, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" Sprinkles of light emerged from her wand and she transformed a pumpkin as well as several of the mice and other animals around the estate into a grand carriage, a horseman , and several horses. Cinderella gasped at the sight while watching this fantasy spectacle unfold right before her eyes. Terra just watched on silently. It was clear that Cinderella's Fairy Godmother had an enormous powerful light. With another wave of her wand, the Fairy Godmother had transformed Cinderella's torn dress into a beautiful ice blue gown, with lovely glass slippers to match.

"Oh... it's a beautiful dress," Cinderella smiled happily. "Why... it's a dream come true."

Terra smiled and for some strange reason he couldn't help but stare at the young maiden as she frolicked daintily in her dress.

"Yes, but like all dreams...," Fairy Godmother reminded her. "I'm afraid this won't last forever." She explained. "You'll have only till midnight, and then, on the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before."

"Yes, I understand." Cinderella replied hugging her fairy godmother.

Politely, Terra opened the carriage for Cinderella to climb in and the carriage quickly sped off to the castle in the distance. The royal ball had already started.

Terra and Cinderella's fairy godmother watched the carriage ride off to the castle. "Her heart was full of light," Terra thought out loud. "Why didn't I see it before..." He then looked at Cinderella's fairy godmother. "What did you do? I can hardly tell she's the same person from before. She seems so happy now."

Cinderella's fairy godmother glanced at Terra's direction. "Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Terra." Terra told the fairy godmother.

She smiled gently and asked, "Terra, in your heart, do you believe that dreams can come true?"

Terra nodded in answering Fairy Godmother's question. "I do," He told her, "But I also believe that you have to make an effort to make them true." He watched the carriage fade off into the distance. '_Maybe Cinderella and I can share a dream together'_ He thought wistfully before the realization of what he had just thought caused his cheeks to pinken. _'Wh-What am I thinking? I can't be with her...her dream is to be with the prince.' _

"But sometimes just believing in dreams is easier said than done." Fairy Godmother said to him breaking Terra out of his thoughts of the lovely Cinderella. "Cinderella believes that dreams can come true. I wanted her to see that she is right,"

"So that's what made her shine -" Terra said. "Faith in her heart that anything is possible."

The Fairy Godmother smiled at Terra. "I can help you see that your dreams can come true as well, Terra."

Hearing the Fairy Godmother say this Terra looked at her quizzically. "You'll help me be a Keyblade Master?" He asked.

The Fairy Godmother let out a small laugh. "No dear boy," She smiled softly. "I can tell that you have been thinking about Cinderella."

"Y-You can?" Terra stammered nervously feeling his face burn.

"Of course I can deary," Fairy Godmother said. "You and Cinderella just may have the chance at sharing one dream." Waving her wand Fairy Godmother transformed Terra's battle worn keyblade wielding outfit into a suitable attire for the ball.

"You look absolutely handsome!" Fairy Godmother told him. "But the same rules apply to you as it does Cinderella. At the stroke of midnight my magic will disappear." She smiled gently and continued speaking, "Until then share your dream and your heart with Cinderella. Once you two are dancing together you will see that dreams really do come true."

"Thank you," Terra said to the Fairy Godmother heading towards the castle.

* * *

'_I wonder what Aqua would say if she saw me dressed up like this?' _Terra thought to himself while walking up to the castle. He smiled. '_Would've been nice if she was here too, oh well I suppose its her loss...' _His thoughts trailed off as he saw Cinderella trying to get inside the castle, but a group of Unversed were blocking her way.

"Not here too!" Terra charged forward towards the steps making his keyblade appear. In quick motions Terra struck each of the Unversed surrounding Cinderella.

Cinderella looked at Terra a quizzical expression on her face. "Oh I've met you before..."

Terra could see that the Unversed had made their way into the grand hall inside the castle. It wasn't safe for Cinderella to go inside with those creatures spawned from the darkness. They could seriously hurt the pure light inside her heart. Terra's grip on his keyblade tightened; He wouldn't allow that to happen to her.

"I'll take care of them," Terra said to her. "Wait here."

Cinderella walked up to him. "Please, may I go with you?" She asked gently. "I was looking forward to going to the ball."

Terra turned to face. He could feel his face getting redder by each second that he stared at her. Quickly looking away Terra nodded "All right," He agreed. "But stay behind me or you'll get hurt."

Cinderella's expression brightened causing the young woman to look even more lovely.

"You're not worried?" Terra asked curiously.

A smile touched Cinderella's lips and she answered, "Didn't you tell me it was important to stay strong?"

Hearing this Terra blushed, "Oh...umm..." He stammered again and then smiled. "I guess I did."

* * *

Escorting Cinderella into the grand hall was no easy task. He fought off Unversed until they stopped spawning. Cinderella was grateful that he had protected her from harm and the two walked over to the ballroom where the guests were all lined up to dance with the prince. Standing at the top of the stairs that led into the large room Cinderella could see her stepmother and stepsisters eagerly awaiting a dance with the prince who at the moment was swinging around another woman in his arms.

Disappointment bloomed within the young woman but she attempted to keep it off her face.

"Is that the prince?" Terra asked softly nodding in the direction of the prince.

Cinderella nodded afraid to say anything out loud for fear of making her disappointment known. She gasped softly and her gaze flew to Terra's as he reached for her hand and gently pulled it through her arm.

Terra led her down the stairs saying, "Then...let's see if we can't show him what he's missing."

Neither of them noticed the quiet that seemed to settle over the room as they stepped onto the ballroom floor and began to waltz. People watching murmured quietly to themselves wondering who the handsome man and beautiful young woman were.

Lady Tremaine and her daughters couldn't help but gawk at Cinderella.

"But who is she mother?" Anastasia asked.

"Do we know her?" Drizella pondered as she watched the two dance and saw the prince walking over towards Cinderella and Terra. "Well the prince certainly seems to!" She squawked. "I've never seen her before."

Lady Tremaine quietly observed the new guests that were dancing. "There is something familiar about her..."

The prince immediately noticed Cinderella and it was as if he had taken an arrow from Cupid in the heart.

Their eyes met, hers over Terra's shoulder and the prince's over the head of his current dance partner. The two of them kept their eyes locked on each other until the end of the current song. As the music faded the prince politely escorted his partner back to her chaperones and immediately made his way over to where Terra and Cinderella had paused to await the next dance.

Bowing to them the prince took Cinderella's hand in his and raised it to his mouth. Pressing a soft kiss to the back of it he asked huskily, "May I have this next dance?"

Cinderella immediately started to say yes but remembering Terra she turned to look at him, her blue eyes pleading. Terra smiled sadly and took a small step backwards. "Please...enjoy the next dance."

As the prince drew Cinderella into his arms and pulled her onto the dance floor Terra touched his chest lightly, a strange ache filling his heart. '_I wonder...is this what heartbreak feels like...?' _ He shrugged off the feelings that were aching in his heart as he saw Cinderella dancing with the prince. '_Maybe believing is enough.._' His eyes suddenly caught Unversed up in the balcony above the hall where everyone was dancing. He dashed over to where the Unversed were.

* * *

Unknown to Terra, Aqua had just left the balcony. She had seen Terra and Cinderella dancing together. She felt her cheeks blush as she saw Terra in the outfit Cinderella's Fairy Godmother had dawned on him. It definitely accentuated his muscular build. She felt a horrible pain in her heart. It wasn't jealousy at all. It was more of a mix of sadness and anger. She felt sad that Terra couldn't be with such a beautiful and kind person such as Cinderella and angry that he had the nerve to dance with her. She and Terra were friends even before he met Cinderella.

Aqua sighed clutching her wayfinder in her hand tightly. '_Maybe instead of spying on Terra...,_" She thought to herself. '_I should've went down there myself and asked him to dance before that girl got the chance to.'_ She continued hiding from sight and fighting off the stray Unversed that were in the balcony. She heard footsteps approaching the balcony and quickly moved out of sight.

* * *

Terra raced up the steps to the balcony seeing a giant Unversed dressed in a musicians clothing and had a drum, violin, and a trumpet floating beside it. This Unversed was known as the Symphony Master and it came from Lady Tremaine and her daughters' jealousy as they watched Cinderella dance with the prince. With a determined expression Terra readied his keyblade to fight the giant Unversed. The Symphony Master sent waves of music with each instrument it played in the form of darkness. Terra struggled to keep his focus but the dark musical energy waves emanating from the instrument made it difficult. He quickly leaped out of harm's way and landed in the ballroom confusing the Symphony Master.

The Symphony Master searched for its opponent.

"Down here!" Terra yelled.

The prince, Cinderella, the grand duke, and all the other guests gasped in shock and surprise at the fiasco. The prince tightly held Cinderella in his arms while the other guests looked for a place to hide.

"Guards! Guards!" The Grand Duke yelled. "Ooh, where could they possibly be?" He wondered nervously.

"I'll take care of this." Terra told him running at the giant Unversed. Raising his keyblade at the enormous creature, the Symphony Master retaliated with its musical instruments pushing Terra back.

'_I've got to do something before it wrecks the entire palace_,' Terra thought. '_Or worse injure someone..._' There were indeed too many people here; he would have to end this quickly. The Symphony Master began blasting waves of darkness with its instruments. Realizing that the Symphony Master's power were from its instrument, Terra began disposing of them. One by one, which each swing of the keyblade, the deadly instruments faded away into a thick black smoke. Infuriated that its instruments were gone, the Symphony Master floated towards the guests.

"Run!" The Grand Duke warned the prince and Cinderella. Protectively, the prince had pushed Cinderella behind him. Cinderella watched on worriedly wondering what this strange monster was going to do.

Spotting them the Symphony Master raised its large hand towards the prince. Terra saw this and quickly ran to aid them. With one hefty swing of the keyblade, the Symphony Master split into two pieces before dissolving in an oozing black smoke.

"Thank you," The Grand Duke said graciously. "You saved us all." A small sigh escaped his lips. "The guests were just starting to enjoy themselves..."

"They still seem to be enjoying themselves." Terra told him nodding towards Cinderella and the prince who began dancing again as if nothing ever happened. Terra smiled a little seeing how happy Cinderella was. His first taste of love wasn't a happy one, but at least Cinderella found someone to be with. He then looked at the Grand Duke and asked, "Tell me something, have you always had a problem around with these monsters?"

"No...," The Grand Duke replied. "I believe they began to appear shortly after a boy in a mask arrived in our kingdom. Those who saw him said the monsters obeyed his every command."

"A boy in a mask?" Terra questioned. "Do you know where he is now?"

"I don't believe anyone has ever seen him since he first arrived." The Grand Duke answered.

Terra was about to say something when he heard the chime of a clock indicating that it was midnight. The magic from Cinderella's Fairy Godmother was starting to wear off. Terra's clothes had disappeared and he was reverted back to his regular clothes.

"Oh...my goodness, it's midnight." Cinderella said worriedly as she and the prince had stopped dancing.

"Yes so it is, is something the matter?" The prince asked concerned.

Cinderella knew she had no time left. Heart aching she said a soft goodbye to the prince and ran out of the castle. She quickly raced down the steps and one of her glass slippers slid off. Cinderella turned to pick it up, but the magic of the dress was starting to wear off. Leaving the glass slipper behind, she ran to the carriage and rode back home. Seeing this the Grand Duke tried chasing her to stop her flight since it was clear that the prince was enamored with the young maiden.

"Mademoiselle!" The Grand Duke called out to her and then he noticed her glass slipper on the staircase. "Wait!" He called out to her. Terra watched this scene from the balcony and movement near the stairs caught his eye. It was Aqua. Her blue eyes were staring at him, their expression dark with an emotion that Terra was suddenly afraid to know. His heart beat faster and a strange feeling of guilt stole over him.

Terra shook his head; he had done nothing to be ashamed about. He shook his emotions aside and ran down the long staircase to talk to her.

"Don't say a word, Terra," Aqua began as Terra opened his mouth to speak. He shut it and she continued stiffly, "I saw you and a girl dancing together."

"Y-You saw us?" Terra stammered trying to hide the blush on his face. Aqua looked up at him and he saw the sad look in her eyes. With sudden clarity he realized that Aqua felt something different for him other than friendship. Terra touched a hand to his heart...Deep down, he felt the same way.

Aqua simply nodded and then sighed. There was so much she wanted to say to him; so much she wanted to confess to him. But now was not the time to exploit her feelings. "Ven ran away from home and he took Levina with him."

"What?" Terra asked in concern.

"I think he left to go find you." Aqua replied. "Do you have any idea why?"

"No...," Terra began and then remembered that Ven wanted to tell him something before he had left. "Just before I left, he tried to tell me something," He began walking towards the exit of the castle. "I should've listened to what he had to say."

They entered the foyer and tension filled the air. The two friends and keyblade wielders had words they had wanted to say to each other that were pumping in their hearts, but their mouths wouldn't let them.

"So did you manage to locate Master Xehanort?" Aqua asked finally breaking the awkward silence.

"No," Terra answered flatly. "But it seems he's looking for pure hearts filled with light."

"Pure hearts...filled with light..." Aqua repeated. She saw Terra's retreating back heading towards the large palace doors. She wanted to tell him to wait so she could apologize for blurting out that she watched him and Cinderella dance.

"All I can tell you is that his search hasn't taken him here." Terra said to her.

"All right," Aqua nodded. "I'll stay and find more clues."

"Ok," Terra replied. "The Prince is in the ballroom up ahead, he might have some answers."

"Thanks." Aqua lightly smiled and began heading up the steps when she heard Terra calling to her.

"You still have the same dream?" Terra asked her.

"Of course I do." Aqua answered him. Despite becoming a keyblade master, she would be more than happy to see that her friends became keyblade masters too. Then they would sit under the stars just like they promised.

"There's this girl here - her name is Cinderella," Terra told her. "She made me realize how powerful it is just to believe. No matter how impossible things seem..a powerful enough dream will always be enough to light the darkness."

A smile touched Aqua's lips. '_I guess I worried for nothing, this Cinderella doesn't seem to be interested in Terra at all. She just wanted to help him believe in dreams agai_n.' Aqua thought.

"If you see her, give her my thanks." Terra said to her and departed from this world. _'The boy in the mask who is leading the Unversed..._,' Terra thought. '_Who is he? Does he have anything to do with Master Xehanort's disappearance. Master Eraqus said he first received word of these events from Master Yen Sid. Maybe it's time I spoke with him myself.'_

Aqua watched Terra leave from this world on his keyblade glide. She smiled and thought, '_He'll be alright. He won't let the darkness get to him_.' She then saw Lady Tremaine and her daughters walking passed her. She sensed a terrible darkness within their hearts. She then spotted the Grand Duke trying to find out who the glass slipper belonged to.

"Excuse me?" Aqua stopped the Grand Duke. "Who are those ladies?"

The Grand Duke quickly glanced over. "That is Lady Tremaine and those two are her daughters." He told her.

Aqua stared at the three women departing the castle. She could feel high amounts of darkness inside their hearts. '_There is something very wrong about them.' _She thought.

The Prince spotted Aqua and smiled, "Oh you came back." Aqua looked at the Prince and she felt her cheeks flush a shade of pink. The Prince then realized that Aqua wasn't Cinderella and apologized.

"Your Highness!" The Grand Duke said to him holding up the glass slipper. "I found this on the palace stairs," He continued speaking to the Prince on how he would search the entire kingdom for the maiden that fits the glass slipper while Aqua observed Lady Tremaine and her daughters. "I will start by searching the closest residence that of Lady Tremaine." He told the Prince and headed off to search for the Prince's bride.

'_Lady Tremaine,' Aqua thought. 'I had better pay her a visit too._'

* * *

Aqua had followed the Grand Duke's carriage to Lady Tremaine's estate. He had already gone inside to speak with Lady Tremaine and her daughters. She could sense a terrible darkness coming from the three women. '_As I feare_d,' She thought._ 'There is darkness here_.' Making her keyblade appear, the female keyblade master was going to put a stop to Lady Tremaine's dark heart.

"Wait!" The kind warning of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother called out to Aqua.

Aqua turned around seeing sparkles of light materialize near her and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother manifested next to her.

"It's dangerous to fight the darkness with light, my dear." Fairy Godmother said to her.

"Who are you?" Aqua questioned.

"Cinderella's fairy godmother," The Fairy Godmother answered. "I appear to those who believe that dreams can come true."

Aqua smiled replying, "Then I am honored, but why would you advise me not to fight the darkness with light?"

"Strong rays of sun create dark shadows," Fairy Godmother began to explain. "Sadly, Lady Tremaine and her daughters are jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, qualities that appear to you as light, jealousy is darkness. Light and dark go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other."

"Then what should I do?" Aqua asked her tightly holding her keyblade wanting to do something.

"It's quite simple, dear," Fairy Godmother instructed wisely. "Two of Cinderella's friends are trying very hard to keep her light from fading," Raising her wand in with her hand she smiled at Aqua, "I want you to join little Gus and Jaq and help them." With her infamous magic words the Fairy Godmother had used her magic to make Aqua small so that she would be able to help Cinderella.

* * *

Inside the house, Jaq and Gus were struggling with a large key. Aqua saw the two mice trying to lift the key and they were muttering something about hurrying to help Cinderella because Lady Tremaine had locked her room.

"Are you ok?" Aqua asked in concern.

"Cinderelly step mothery lock her in her room." Gus answered her.

"Gotta let her out!" Jaq said urgently. "Gotta save Cinderelly!" He then turned around seeing Aqua with her keyblade. "That's a like Ven Ven and 'Eviny!" He said happily.

Aqua's blue eyes blinked with surprise. "How do you know them?" She asked.

"Us a friends!" Gus beamed. "Good friends!"

"Ven Ven and 'Eviny help a us make a Cinderelly's dress!" Jaq told her.

"Where are they now?" Aqua continued to ask hoping she could find Ven and Levina.

"Looking for friend," Gus replied. "Other friend!"

Aqua sighed knowing that Ven wanted to see Terra really badly. She was going to say something when she overheard a tantrum from one of the step sister's complaining that the glass slipper didn't fit.

"I don't understand!" Drizella's voice boomed from the door. "It always used to fit before!"

"Oh no!" Gus cried out. "Gotta hurry!"

"Cinderelly gotta try the slipper!" Jaq said urgently running towards a nearby mouse hole when suddenly a Unversed appeared in their way.

Seeing the Unversed, Aqua readied her keyblade and fought them off while Jaq and Gus ran through the mouse hole with the key. Aqua fought all the Unversed that began surfacing around the house. The Unversed suddenly dispersed and Aqua found herself standing on top of the steps watching the Grand Duke interrogate Lady Tremaine and her daughters about the glass slipper.

"You're the only ladies here?" The Grand Duke asked.

"There's no one else here, Your Grace." Lady Tremaine answered.

"Come on...," Aqua wondered nervously. "Gus, Jaq...hurry..." She saw the Grand Duke leaving the estate. 'No, he can't leave yet...' Aqua's thoughts were cut short as she felt Cinderella's Fairy Godmother's magic wear off and she was normal size again. She fell from the ledge of the stairs and toppled onto the floor. She groaned in pain rubbing her ankle gently. Lady Tremaine and her daughters hatefully glared at Aqua.

"Who is she mother?!" Drizella demanded.

"She must be here to rob us!" Anastasia assumed.

Aqua looked at them nervously and then at the Grand Duke. "...Would it be alright if I tried on the glass slipper?"

The Grand Duke pondered this and smiled at her. "I met you at the palace, unfortunately you are not the young lady the Prince is searching for."

Aqua gently smiled standing up and replied, "But I am a girl. I should at least be given a chance to try it on." She told him hoping it would be buy Gus and Jaq enough time to help Cinderella.

"She does not live here!" Lady Tremaine barked. "I only have two daughters, Your Grace."

"Regardless, she means no harm," The Grand Duke said and walked over towards Aqua with the glass slipper.

"Your Grace!" Cinderella called out from the stairs. "Please wait!" She ran down the stairs eagerly. "May I try it on?"

Lady Tremaine scowled in disgust. "Your Grace, pay no attention to her, she's just an imaginative child."

The Grand Duke lightly glared at Lady Tremaine, "Madam! My orders were to allow every maiden try on this glass slipper!"

Aqua smiled brightly relieved that Jaq and Gus helped Cinderella out just in time. "You should let her go first," She told him and kindly helped Cinderella from the stairs.

"Thank you." Cinderella said kindly.

Aqua nodded and smiled, "I actually want to thank you," She told her. "For teaching Terra to keep believing."

The Grand Duke quickly ran over with the glass slipper unaware that Lady Tremaine had stuck her foot out making the Grand Duke fall over and the glass slipper had shattered into pieces. Distressed, the Grand Duke began sobbing while Lady Tremaine and her daughters grinned.

"Please don't worry," Cinderella told him gently taking out the other glass slipper. "I have the other slipper."

Delighted, the Grand Duke took the slipper and placed it on Cinderella's foot. He smiled happily that he had done his job and the Prince would finally be married. "It's a perfect fit!" The Grand Duke joyously said. "I must tell the Prince immediately." He looked at Cinderella with glee. "You will have to come with me back to the palace."

Cinderella smiled happily and nodded. She was finally free from her stepmother's prison.

"It's not fair!" Drizella yelled. "She's just a maid!"

"Mother, are you just going to let them leave like that?!" Anastasia complained.

Lady Tremaine said nothing as she watched the Grand Duke leave with Cinderella. "Cinderella will be put in her place." She finally spoke.

* * *

Aqua had left estate of Lady Tremaine, happy for the young maiden who was finally free of her stepmother's clutches. She was about to leave this world when she heard Cinderella yell in terror.

"What's that?" She wondered in concerned and saw the Grand Duke running over. "What happened? Where is Cinderella?"

"S-She was attacked!" The Grand Duke panted catching his breath from running. "By a creature...a monster in the forest!"

"A monster?" Aqua thought out loud and ran towards the forest. To her horror she saw a large pumpkin shaped Unversed. It was the same pumpkin which the Fairy Godmother had turned into a carriage earlier. The Cursed Coach Unversed manifested from Lady Tremaine and her daughters' jealousy and hatred from the darkness inside their hearts. The creature unleashed lethal pumpkin shaped bombs at Cinderella.

"This is what happens when you go against my wishes!" Lady Tremaine cackled.

Aqua dived above Cinderella shielding herself and the young maiden with a special magical shield. The bombs bounced off the shield and right back at the coach. Lady Tremaine and her daughters were caught in between the crossfire of the bombs.

"The darkness in their hearts overtook them." Aqua sighed and led Cinderella back to the palace.

* * *

Once there, Aqua watched Cinderella and the Prince happily embracing each other. She smiled at seeing them finally together. "A pure heart filled with light..." She remembered Terra's words from earlier. "It's strange, the Master taught me darkness needs to be destroyed." She said referring to Eraqus as Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared next to her. "But how, if not with light?" She asked curiously.

Fairy Godmother smiled brightly and answered, "Just believe in your heart and in your dreams," She smiled. "Perhaps you too will find your prince one day."

Aqua gently smiled holding her wayfinder tightly in her hand. She had remembered the promise she made with her friends. She would risk everything to make sure that promise came true.

* * *

Meanwhile in the world of the Enchanted Dominion Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were getting ready to return to Yen Sid. After Donald's somewhat falsified speech the girl, whose name was eventually revealed to be Lira, had agreed to go with them in return for training so that one day she could avenge the deaths of her parents. Although the trio had wanted to leave right away Lira had resisted.

How could she leave without doing the burial rites for her parents? It had taken three days for everything to be accomplished and as she walked out of the village behind her new friends Lira couldn't help but feel nervous. Although she had always dreamed of leaving this tiny village and going out and doing great things Lira had never actually  
believed that it would happen. And now that the moment was here...

After a short time of walking the small group was out of site of the village and Mickey drew to a stop. He reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out the Star Shard. Lira's eyes widened. "It's so pretty," she breathed out.

Mickey laughed and held it out so Lira could get a better look. "This is what we use to travel...Alright guys, let's get out of here!"

Immediately Donald and Goofy placed their hands on Mickey's shoulders. With only the slightest hesitation Lira followed their lead and placed her hand besides Donald's. Moments later they shimmered out of existence.

* * *

**So happy this chapter is finally over with! What did you all think of the romantic tension between the characters? What will become of Lira? Will she aid the keyblade wielders quest in putting a stop to the darkness? What could Xehanort possibly be up to? Find out next time and review :D **


	6. Enchanted Dominion Part 1

**Hey everyone sorry for not updating! Life gets in the way of awesome fan-fic planning. I'm making the visit of Enchanted Dominion into two parts cause shiznits about to go down. So enjoy all the plot bunnies and references :D You shall get a cookie - an internet cookie for pointing out all the references! **

* * *

Chapter 6: Enchanted Dominion Part 1

Radiant Garden a kingdom known as the City of Light. It harbored the light from all the worlds nearby. The great land's king was a researcher known as Ansem the Wise. He and his apprentices would study the emotions of the human heart. They have spent countless amounts of hours on research and experiments. This was the first world that would fall into darkness. Xehanort would make sure of that. He wandered the brightly lit kingdom. Stalking the underground waterway of the kingdom's castle he came across one of Ansem's apprentices who was on guard duty. It wasn't heavily guarded so it needed to be constantly watched incase intruders ever decided to break in.

"How lame can the boss get?" A young man mused to himself. "Being stuck down here on guard duty like some weird apocalypse is gonna happen, as if," Adjusting the red scarf around his uniform his brown eyes caught someone wandering the secret hideout. He turned around noticing Xehanort. He smirked, "And here I thought there was nothing to do down here." Gallantly raising his arrow guns at Xehanort, he fired at the old man shouting, "Hey! This is a restricted area grandpa! Go home to your rocking chair!"

Xehanort swiftly made his keyblade materialize in his hand blocking the arrows that were being fired at him. "Is that all you can muster?" Xehanort asked cooly as darkness ushered from his fingertips. "I can see that you have great potential, but the king of this realm is holding you back."

The young man named Braig listened to Xehanort intently. "Finally, someone who gets how I feel," He said with a hint of eagerness in his voice as he observed the keyblade in Xehanort's hand. "That weapon you've got is hands down one of the best weapons I've ever laid eyes on."

"The keyblade does not belong to those of weak hearts," Xehanort told him. "But I can tell you have a strong heart. A heart derived from the light. Perhaps if you play your cards right, I can grant you the power you seek." Seeing the desperation in Braig's eyes, Xehanort continued on telling the young apprentice of his plan.

"So all I've gotta do is sway some punk brat named Terra into the darkness?" Braig asked shrugging carelessly. "Shouldn't take too long."

Xehanort nodded waving his hand causing his keyblade to disappear.

"Count me in," Braig agreed. "At least now I don't have to listen to the boss preaching about the light. Man do those speeches get old fast."

The old master turned away from Braig hiding a smirk as he walked off. Everything was going according to his plans. As he left the underground waterway which led towards the flower glade he felt a powerful light radiating from a little girl. The small girl was happily picking flowers as her auburn hair was sweetly swaying in the wind and her bright blue eyes shining with child-like innocence. Xehanort stalked her hungrily; the shine in this little girl's heart was stronger than anything he had felt. It was equal to the other princesses from other worlds which he had convinced Maleficent to steal their hearts.

"Kairi!" A gentle voice called out to her.

The small girl known as Kairi looked up seeing her grandmother. She adorably waved her tiny hand in the air. "Coming Grandma!" She gently answered getting up from the flower glade. She brushed off small flower petals off of her white dress and she ran towards her grandmother smiling brightly as she held onto her flowers tightly. "Grandma! Look!" She happily held out the flowers in her hand to her grandmother. As Kairi showed off the bunch of flowers in her hand, she noticed Xehanort lurking in the shadows of the waterway. The tiny girl shook clinging to her grandmother's apron.

Concerned the gentle old woman looked down at her trembling granddaughter. "Why what's the matter child?" She asked as she soothingly put her arm around the small girl.

"T-There's an old man over there!" Kairi shouted as she pointed towards the castle's underground waterway. "H-He's watching us!"

Kairi's grandmother looked over towards the direction where her granddaughter was pointing to. Xehanort had already left this world with the assistance of a dark corridor and returned to the safe havens of the Keyblade Graveyard.

* * *

Before visiting Yen Sid, another world was calling to him. So Terra had decided to touch down on this world as if a powerful light was calling to him. Landing in the middle of a meadow, he looked around. "This world is so breathtaking…" Terra said to himself taking in the trees and waterfall. He noticed the point of a castle hiding in the distance of the meadow.

This serene moment was interrupted as Unversed appeared around the young keyblade weilder. "More Unversed!" Terra shouted making his keyblade appear in his hand. Terra swung his keyblade at the tiny Flood unversed. As Terra fought the emotionless creatures, one Flood began running away towards the castle. "No you don't!" He yelled chasing after the tiny creature.

The small Unversed ran across the bridge of King Stefan's castle with the young keyblade wielder close behind. It was reaching the door to the grand castle when Terra's keyblade struck the small monster destroying it in a blaze of darkness. Terra gawked at the castle in front of him. The ginormous structure made him feel minuscule. His blue eyes were fixated on somebody standing on the bridge. Shrouded in a black cloak, the person's back was turned so he couldn't see their face.

Hearing the footsteps of the youth, Maleficent turned around. "What's this?" She asked curiously staring at the young boy. "Why aren't you asleep boy? That foolish good fairy Flora cast a spell on this land to put everyone into a deep, deep slumber."

On his guard, Terra could feel darkness pulsating from the dark fairy. "Who are you?" He asked demandingly.

The dark fairy grinned proudly answering the boy's question, "Why I am Maleficent, as all who dwell in this kingdom know. Now you must reciprocate the introduction. Who are you?"

"I'm Terra," He replied and then asked curiously, "What do you know about those monsters – the ones who attacked me?"

Momentarily Maleficent turned away from the young boy. "Now why would I give a thought to creatures so base…so inconsequential?" She asked him.

Terra thought for a moment. The Unversed are indeed weak creatures. "They are base, that's for sure." He agreed with the dark fairy. He then decided to ask Maleficent of Xehanort's whereabouts. "I'm looking for someone. Ever heard of a man named Xehanort?"

The dark fairy hid a smirk hearing the name Xehanort usher on the boy's lips. '_So it's true, this boy is being influenced by the darkness just as the old fool had predicted_,' she thought remembering Xehanort's first visit to this world. '_I suppose I could give the darkness inside his heart a small jump start._' Continuing to put on the ruse, the dark fairy gripped her staff replying, "That name is not familiar to me, is he an outsider like yourself?" A sudden thought struck her, "Oh wait, I do remember someone leaving the castle."

Eagerly Terra asked, "Tell me – what was he doing here?"

"I couldn't say…," Maleficent replied. "I can only be certain he wasn't from this kingdom. If you're curious, go see the castle for yourself."

Terra stared at the castle and then ran towards the enterance.

Maleficent watched the boy desperately crossing the bridge and said, "He did speak about imprisoning 'the light'…"

Hearing this Terra stopped in his tracks and turned around looking at Maleficent in surprise.

"'The light' could be so many things?" The dark fairy pondered curiously. "Could he have meant Princess Aurora?"

"Aurora…" Terra repeated dashing towards the castle.

Maleficent watched the young boy speed off into the castle with glee. Her plan was working perfectly.

* * *

Terra entered the grand hall of the castle. He saw the king, queen, royal guards, and the knights, everyone fast asleep just as Maleficent had said. It was a powerful sleep spell, but not a dark spell. Being near Aqua for so many years, Terra had seen her use the sleep spell. Being asleep protects a person's heart from the darkness; it's their dreams that protect them from the darkness. However, being asleep does lower a person's internal defenses allowing the darkness to try and break into their hearts. That was just what the Unversed wanted to claim as they popped up from thin air in the grand hall. Terra wouldn't let any of these innocent dreamers get hurt. Sliding and dashing at the Unversed, Terra sliced through them like threads on a spinning wheel.

"Where are they all coming from?" He wondered and then raced up the steps. There was a door encased in darkness. Holding out his keyblade at the dark-filled door, the keyblade casting a beam of light causing the darkness to fade away and unlock the door. Upon entering the room, Terra realized that it was a bedroom, belonging to a princess. He saw a beautiful young maiden asleep in bed, her blonde hair cascading on the pillows and breathing angelically as she slept. He couldn't help but stare at the princess; he had never seen someone so beautiful before.

Terra walked towards the young sleeping princess, and upon further inspection he gently took her hand, he felt how cold and frigid it felt, but he felt a warm light being so close to her. "This feels so familiar…," He mused.

"Her heart is filled with light – not the slightest touch of darkness." Maleficent spoke from behind the boy. She wickedly smirked as Terra turned around, his gaze glaring at the dark witch. "Just the kind of heart, I need."

"For what?" Terra asked.

"Imagine with me, the most glorious of futures…," Maleficent began. "Seven of the purest hearts, each overflowing with light. When brought together, they grant the power to rule all worlds."

"What do you mean?" Terra demanded making a move to make his keyblade appear in his hand realizing that he had been duped the second he met the dark fairy.

"Why, that key you hold…," Maleficent answered him. "Isn't it called a Keyblade?"

Terra made his keyblade appear in his hand gripping it tightly in his hand. "Where did you learn that name!? Only Keyblade Masters are allowed to know what a keyblade is!"

"That trinket is the only way to obtain the hearts," Maleficent continued speaking ignoring all of Terra's questions.

Infuriated by Maleficent words Terra held his keyblade tightly readying to attack and yelled, "No more games! Where is Master Xehanort?!"

Calmly Maleficent answered, "Impudence will get you nowhere, child. If you wish to learn more, you must retrieve the heart of Aurora."

"And why would I ever do that?!" Terra spat back at the dark fairy. He had no realization that the darkness pulsating from his heart was growing stronger each time his anger was being directed at Maleficent.

"It's not a matter of 'why', but of will," Maleficent retorted waving her hand around the crystal ball on her staff. "In your heart, there is darkness just waiting to be awakened."

Terra struggled with himself momentarily. The darkness inside his heart was getting too powerful for him to control anymore. "I don't know what you're talking about…" He struggled.

Maleficent observed Terra struggling. "Perhaps not yet…, but I have the power over sleep. I can awaken what's inside you…," She told him. "Then you will be free to be who you are."

Terra continued to struggle with himself to keep the darkness in his heart at bay. He suddenly remembered Eraqus's words about the darkness;

_"Remember that darkness lurks in every heart."_

_"Darkness is our foe."_

"_One that we could be rid of."_

"_You must destroy it!" _

_"Push the darkness down – give it no quarter in your heart." _

Despite Eraqus's words ushering inside of his head, Terra couldn't fight the darkness in his heart. Maleficent influence over his darkness wasn't helping either. Momentarily the young keyblade wielder felt helpless and allowed the darkness to control him. Terra opened his eyes, and the shine from his eyes had faded. There was no light at all. Seeing this Maleficent smirked, she was able to control the handsome keyblade wielder to her will. Terra held out his keyblade towards Maleficent stabbing the sleeping princess' chest releasing a small fragment of light. The light inside her heart.

Greedily Maleficent snatched the powerful ball of light in her hands. "Here it is…," She said gleefully. "Just what I've waited for."

Terra shook his head fighting off Maleficent powerful spell. He saw the ball of light in the dark fairy's hands.

"To think that all he spoke of was and will be true." Maleficent smirked remembering what Xehanort had told her.

"What?" How did I-?" Terra pondered in confusion as he held his head. He then looked at Maleficent grief stricken seeing the princesses' light in the dark fairy's greedy hands. "What did I do? What did _you_ make me do!?"

"You speak as if I've pulled invisible strings," Maleficent replied calmly. "No, you couldn't be far from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside."

Terra's hands shook as he realized what he had done sinking to his knees, "How could I do this?" He wondered aloud and stood up slowly the moment he heard Maleficent speak.

"Now you want to know where Xehenort went?" Maleficent asked as she approached Terra.

"Yes!" Terra yelled in a demanding tone.

"I cannot answer," Maleficent replied truthfully. "He disappeared into the darkness," A wicked grin slowly emerged on the dark fairy's face. "But now I know the Keyblade is necessary to gather hearts." She looked Terra's sorrowful face. He was still reeling from what he had done to Aurora. "Join me," She proposed. "Collect six more hearts of pure light. Then we will rule all worlds together!"

Terra looked at the dark fairy disgusted with what he had just been offered. "You seem to be mixed up," He told her. "I'm a peacekeeper, not a tyrant!" He yelled making his keyblade materialize in his hand once more.

"For a peacekeeper you are off to an exceptionally poor start," Malefient scoffed. "Taking the light of an innocent princess, how deceitful."

Terra hatefully glared at the dark fairy and charged at her. The moment his keyblade touched Maleficent, the dark fairy had used her mighty powers of darkness to disappear cackling at the boy's failed attempt to strike her down.

"Remember this," Maleficent's voice echoed. "The darkness in your heart cannot be held back by force or strength."

Terra lowered his eyes to the floor making his keyblade disappear. He then glanced over towards the sleeping Princess Aurora. "It's my fault her light was stolen," Terra thought out loud. It was because I was weak…" He looked down at the sleeping princess. "I'm sorry," He apologized to her hoping she would hear him. "I'll get your light back." He declared leaving the castle. '_Once I learn to stand up against the darkness._' He thought and then remembered what Maleficent had told him about Xehanort's plans. '_Why would Master Xehanort want to imprison the light? The purest hearts of light – do they hold the answer?'_ Tightly holding his wayfinder in his pocket Terra vowed to fight the darkness inside his heart and left the world in search of Yen Sid's guidance.

* * *

Mickey and his companions had arrived back at the Mysterious Tower. Lira nervously looked around. She gawked at the giant tower in the middle of the grassy plains. There was something…mysterious and magical about it. She had wondered what she got herself into, but if she could count on the king and her friends to help train her, she would make sure her vow to avenge her parents' death would come true.

"Right this way!" Goofy said brightly to Lira as she led her into the tower.

"Master Yen Sid is waiting to see you." Donald told her indicating pointing his wing to the spiral staircase which led to the top of the tower.

Mickey looked at Lira's apprehensive face. "Fellas!" Mickey scolded his friends gently. "You're terrifying her." The small mouse then looked at Lira. "You've got nothing to worry about, Master Yen Sid won't hurt you at all."

"He's just going to judge you." Donald remarked in a snarky tone.

Lira's blue eyes were still brimming with tears. She still hadn't gotten over losing her parents from the attack. "J-Judge me?" She asked wiping her tears away with her hand. Goofy kindly handed her a handkerchief from his pocket and patted her shoulder gently. "Judge me for what?"

The knight and mage looked at their king. Mickey idly rubbed the back of his head not sure what to say to this girl. Yen Sid was unclear about why he wanted someone to help aid in their fight against the darkness as the four trudged up the steps of the spiral staircase.

* * *

Yen Sid's gaze was hypnotically entranced by the sparkling stars from his window. They twinkled brightly. Some brighter than others, and there were even some that were flickering which suddenly faded into the darkened sky. _'The darkness continues to swallow the worlds. Could he really be behind this?' _Yen Sid thought. Although it had been years since he trained someone in the art of keyblade, he still remembered training two people. One student in particular always shined in the light and prospered to do what was right. His other student on the other hand, despite being brought up on a small island surrounded by light constantly seemed to be curious about the darkness. Yen Sid let out a small sigh as he stroked his beard. Even though his pupil became so infatuated with the darkness, he knew that the darkness was their source of power. His pupil was able to do great things by manipulating the darkness. They were terrible things, but great. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door from behind him open. He calmly turned around as he heard the door open from behind him as Mickey and his friends entered the room.

"Master Yen Sid!" Mickey said calmly. "Is she the one?" He asked curiously.

Yen Sid's glanced over at the small village girl. His nurturing eyes set on Lira. Lira nervously stood in the room as if she was being examined with just that one stare. It was as if Yen Sid was staring into her soul or more correctly her heart. "Your keyblade, Mickey." He ordered the mouse.

Obediently Mickey made his star seeker keyblade appear in his hand. The keyblade brightly shined around Lira's presence.

Mickey patiently waited for Yen Sid's answer. A satisfied smile crept on the mouse's lips as he saw Yen Sid nod.

"What?!" Donald exclaimed flabbergasted as he jumped in the air. "Her?!"

"Gawrsh that's great!" Goofy said happily as he shook Lira's hand congratulating her.

"Wait, why are you congratulating me?" Lira asked.

"You must aid King Mickey in his quest to stop the darkness from spreading to all the worlds," Yen Sid explained as he gestured his hand towards the window. "These stars are other worlds, as you can see there are a few stars that have been swallowed up by the night sky. It means a world or many worlds have been swallowed by the darkness." He then looked at her. "You will need training of course, I can sense a bright light within your heart, never allow yourself to be swayed by the darkness and lose that light in your heart."

Lira looked out the window at the shining stars in the sky. She didn't even realize that there were a few stars that were missing. She thought that the stars were hidden in the clouds.

Yen Sid turned towards Goofy's and Donald's direction. "Goofy, you must do your best to train this young girl at the castle.

"You can count on me, Master Yen Sid!" Goofy saluted.

"If you don't blow it first." Donald replied agitated.

"If you feel that strongly about seeing your friend fail, Donald, then why don't you assist him?" Yen Sid suggested. It wasn't really a suggestion, it was an order.

Donald quacked. "You want me to help train her?!" The outraged duck yelled. He then sighed because he knew he could never undermine Yen Sid's orders.

Mickey continued to stare out the window. He feared greatly that the darkness was getting stronger. He looked at Yen Sid urgently holding his keyblade tightly in his hand and said, "I've gotta find out who's responsible for causing all of this!" Yen Sid gave Mickey permission to leave. The tiny king quickly departed the room running down the steps of the spiral staircase.

As Mickey headed out of wooden door, Terra had just touched down on the floating tower.

* * *

The echoes of ink scratching down on paper could be heard in the empty hallways of the castle in the Land of Departure. Crumpled up pieces of paper were crowded around on his desk as Eraqus' brown eyes never left the page. He seemed to be writing a letter. Next to him was a half empty silver plated saucer of strawberries. He jotted down his final words on the paper double checking to see if his words would get through. A small sigh escaped his lips, he knew it was too late to change things, but he couldn't sit around and do nothing while his students, daughter, and best friend were all missing. He tucked the scrolled piece of paper inside a bottle.

It was an old tradition his former Keyblade Master had taught him and another pupil when he was once learning how to wield the mighty weapon. Despite the worlds being divided, they all share the same sky. No matter where the people closest to one's heart is, placing a letter inside a bottle and then casting it off into the sea, it would be certain that the letter would reach its recipient. Taking the bottle, the wise keyblade master set outside towards the waterfall attached to the land. Gently casting the bottle into the currents of the waterfall he had hoped Xehanort would receive the letter. He knew he could not disway Xehanort of his power hungry mannerisms of the darkness, but his heart had hoped reading the letter would bring him back into the light. He smiled gently at the training grounds where his students would train and progress with their keyblades. He felt proud making sure his students would never fall into darkness.

Moments later, Eraqus returned to the empty hallways of the castle. '_I hadn't realized how large this castle can be_.' He thought to himself. Since he was always accompanied by Terra, Aqua, Ven, and Levina he never had time for himself like he did now. He stopped down the hall at his daughter's room. The room was tidily kept. He examined the room closely. Noticing the spell books from the castle library, a broken hand-made sword and staff were splattered on the bed. Eraqus walked towards the bed lifting the wooden weapons in his hand. The edge of the wooden sword wasn't sharp and the staff had many dents and could be easily snapped in two. '_She is so determined to fight_,' Eraqus thought. '_All I've done was hold her back all this time_.' He now fully understood that his little girl who he was trying to protect from the darkness was now growing up.

"Perhaps I have been too hard on her," Eraqus said to himself as he held the hand-made weapons in his hand. "She has been training just as much as my students." A smile touched his lips as he came to a decision. "Levina once you return home, your mark of mastery exam will begin."

* * *

As Terra departed from Enchanted Dominion, Ven and Levina had just arrived. They touched down on the bridge of the castle.

"Whoa!" They both said in unison staring at the castle in awe.

"It's just like we're in a fairy tale!" Levina cooed brightly.

"Do you think Terra's in there?" Ven wondered.

Levina smiled brightly at her friend. "Maybe! C'mon let's go check it out!" As Levina darted towards the castle a swarm of Unversed appeared blocking their path.

"Not again!" Ven groaned readying his keyblade.

"Out of the way you freak!" Levina yelled at the tiny creatures holding her keyblade.

The two bravely fought off the swarm of Unversed, unaware of Vanitas stalking them. '_It's time I took care of that weakling_.' He thought to himself showing no sign of emotion as he felt a strange pain in his chest. He then noticed something floating below the bridge in the river. Since his two opponents were distracted by the Unversed, Vanitas easily glided down the bridge picking a bottle. Inside the bottle was a letter addressed to Xehanort. Vanitas snorted. _'Pfft, who in their right mind would send the Master a letter in a bottle_?' He carelessly tucked the bottle away sneering, "Guess Ventus and little friend will have to wait." He said opening a dark corridor and disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

**Plot, plot, plot, everywhere lol, the plot has to go some where right? Yeeeah Terra you naive idiot lol, this is why he's my least favorite character of the BBS trio. Rofl so I turned Vanitas into a delivery boy D: He has to something instead of constantly stalking Ven! Hope everyone enjoyed the update :D **


	7. Enchanted Dominion Part 2

**Here's an early Christmas gift! A new chapter for the fic! I am loving every moment of this fan fic! I've introduced a mini flashback of how Levina gets her keyblade. Cause you aren't born with the keyblade, you inherit it from a keyblade master! Hope you guys enjoyed it and sorry for the wait, I had finals and life related things to take care of! So leave a review :D **

* * *

Chapter 7: Enchanted Dominion Part 2

Aqua raced through the lanes between. She was worried for her friends safety. She saw a glimmer of light in the distance. As the light grew brighter she saw Terra on his keyblade glider leaving Enchanted Dominion. The two crossed paths with each other. Neither one said a word as they passed.

'_Terra…_' Aqua thought as she stared at his retreating armor heading towards the direction of Yen Sid's tower. She could feel a pulsating darkness within his heart. '_What did you do in that world?_' She wondered in concern. Disembarking from her glider as she arrived in the village of Bolide, her eyes fell on a fallen village recovering from a horrible attack.

"What in the world caused all this?!" She exclaimed in horror as she saw homes decimated, children without their parents, parents without their children, people without a place to live. "Was it the darkness?" She mused. '_Would Terra do a thing like this?_'' She thought in dismay. She saw one of the knights of King Stephen's court assisting a broken family. "Please tell me who was responsible for this!?" She asked catching her breath.

The knight turned gallantly smiling charmingly at her. "A dark fairy, her name is Maleficent," the knight said to her. "She wielded an incredible power. A power that no one in the kingdom had ever seen before, my men were no match for the tremendous power that witch possessed."

A sigh of relief touched Aqua's lips. '_Good, so it wasn't Terra after all.' She_ thought smiling lightly. "It must've been the darkness…" Aqua thought out loud. "Where is she now?"

The remaining people alive in the tiny village pointed to Malifecent's castle eerily hovering in the distance. Aqua stared into the trembling faces of the villagers. "Don't worry, I'll put a stop to that witch's dark powers!"

"Y-You would do that for us?" A small child asked clinging to their parents.

Aqua smiled at the tiny child. "Of course," She answered. "No one deserves to suffer in darkness. The light will shine brighter once the darkness is gone."

The villagers smiled at Aqua's kindness as she raced towards Maleficent's castle.

* * *

Ven and Levina had taken care of the Unversed that were outside King Stephen's castle. They entered the hall and saw no sign of life.

"I wonder where everyone is?" Levina thought.

"There's gotta be somewhere here…," Ven wondered. "Maybe Terra's upstairs!" Filled with glee in seeing his friend again, the boy raced up the stairs.

"Ven! Wait for me!" Levina called out to him trailing behind.

The halls were completely empty.

"Still no sign of Terra." Ven pouted as he wandered the empty hall way.

"I'm sure we'll find him." Levina reassured her friend.

The two stopped in front of a closed wooden door. They both felt a strange sensation. Like something was calling to them behind the door. The wooden door creaked as Ven pushed it. The two friends realized that this was someone's room. Someone of high royalty since they noticed a tapestry of the king and queen of this realm hanging on the wall.

At a glance, Ven saw someone asleep from the corner of his eye. He quietly tiptoed over towards the young maiden whose luscious blonde hair and ruby red lips attracted the boy. Ven's faced flushed as he saw Princess Aurora's face. She was so beautiful even if she was asleep.

"Stop! Get away from her!" A voice yelled.

Levina turned around to face Ven's direction when she saw two fairies; a green and blue one beside her holding their wands tightly.

"We don't mean any harm!" Levina told them.

The red fairy who yelled was glaring at Ven since he was so close to Aurora.

"I-I'm sorry," Ven stammered rubbing the back of his head. "It's just that…I've never seen someone so beautiful before." He blushed.

"Beautiful?" Levina repeated Ven's words and walked over to where Aurora was sleeping. "Wow…" She cooed in delight. "She is beautiful."

"Who are you?" The red fairy asked as she floated towards the strangers.

"I'm Ventus," Ven answered with a small smile. "But you can call me Ven. This is my friend Levina."

The three fairies inspected the two very carefully.

"We are the good fairies, here to protect Princesses Aurora. I am Flora, and these two are Fawna and Merriwhether." The red fairy named Flora introduced herself and her two sisters.

"Oh…you two don't seem bad at all," Fawna smiled at them. "I'm certain you two have pure hearts, just like our precious Aurora.

"Can you tell us why she's sleeping?" Ven asked curiously.

"Long ago, Maleficent cursed her," Fawned replied. "Now she's stolen her heart."

"Well, why don't we get it back for her!" Ven chimed.

"Ven are you sure that's a good idea?" Levina asked her friend in an apprehensive tone.

"Sure it'll be easy!" Ven beamed happily.

"Your friend has a reason to be nervous, dear," Fawna said to Ven. "Maleficent's home is at the Forbidden Mountain. It's not safe."

"I'm not afraid," Ven told the good fairies. "We can't just leave Aurora like this."

Levina smiled gently at Ven's bravery. "You're right Ven," She told him. "Let's go get her heart back."

Ven beamed happily and looked at the good fairies. "See, we can help!" He said to them. "You gotta believe me."

The three fairies looked at their new friends. They smiled at their bravery and kindness that were willing to help someone that they've never even met before.

"You know, you're absolutely right," Fawna said to them. "The Forbidden Mountain is through the forest. Come along – follow us."

"After all we wouldn't want you two to get lost." Merriwhether told them with a small smile.

Ven and Levina nodded following the three good fairies out of the castle and into the deep forest.

* * *

Terra saw King Mickey running down the tiny steps of the Mysterious Tower with his Star Seeker keyblade in hand. Terra watched curiously and silently as the tiny mouse held up his Star Shard in the air. "Alakazam!" He shouted and the Star Shard transported the king away from this world in a dizzying spiral of light.

Terra entered the Mysterious Tower and headed up the spiral staircase to speak with Yen Sid.

"Gawrsh Lira, you've got nothin' to worry about," Goofy said with a smile. "I'll teach ya everything I know about knighthood!"

Donald snorted. "If Goofy screws it up, you'll have my incredible magic spells to keep protect you."

Lira smiled at them. "Thank you," She said as her eyes gazed towards the opening door. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she saw Terra walk in.

Yen Sid looked up observantly from his desk as he saw Terra.

"Master Yen Sid, my name is Terra." Terra introduced himself.

"We're in the middle of training!" Donald squawked flapping his wings in frustration

"I won't be long," Terra told the grumpy duck. "I just need some answers." He then heard a snicker coming from Lira's lips. "Is something wrong?"

Trying to contain her laughter, Lira giggled asking Goofy an important question, "Goofy do I have to wear ridiculous pants like him during my training?" She asked bursting out in laughter.

Terra scoffed. "These clothes make me feel comfortable when I fight." He retorted.

"You are Eraqus's pupil," Yen Sid finally spoke directing his voice at Terra and silencing everyone in the room. "I've been expecting you. It is the Unversed that concern you?" He asked.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid," Terra answered. "I thought it best to seek the council of one wiser than myself."

"I am no longer a Master," Yen Sid told the eager boy. "I doffed that mantle."

"But sir," Terra protested. "Wasn't that your pupil I passed on the way in?" He asked in concern. "He had a Keyblade…"

"You refer to Mickey," Yen Sid replied. "He, too, sought guidance here. As a king, he is good and kind. But the weight of a crown has not cured him of his impetuousness. He has left with an object whose power he does not understand nor does he know how to control. Mickey imagines my Star Shard will be of help to him in his current quest. And like you, he is eager to use his Keyblade to set things right."

"I'm not sure I even understand what's wrong." Terra admitted to the former Master. "Master Xehanort is missing…and now I've learned there's a masked boy who is controlling those Unversed on the loose."

Yen Sid listened to Terra's words intently. '_Perhaps my suspicions are true then, Xehanort is behind this horrible plot to contain the worlds in darkness.'_ He thought to himself. "To arrive at the truth, perhaps you should approach things differently – first consider them one and the same problem."

Hearing this from the wise sorcerer, Terra looked dumbfounded. "Master Xehanort and the Unversed are connected somehow?"

"I must not make assumptions," Yen Sid replied looking troubled and then looked towards Goofy, Donald, and Lira. '_They must act quickly if they are to prevent the darkness from growing even stronger.'_ "Find Xehanort Terra. That is where you should begin."

Terra bowed respectfully to the former Keyblade Master before leaving the Mysterious Tower.

Yen Sid watched Terra leave a small disturbed sigh escaped from his lips. "I had hoped, Xehanort, your heart would no longer lead you astray."

Donald, Goofy and Lira stared at Yen Sid as he meditated.

"C'mon Lira let's go," Goofy said happily.

"We've gotta train you at the palace!" Donald said digging into his pocket. He dumped strange blocks on the floor.

Lira looked at the small block pieces assorted in different colors. "What are those?"

"Gummi ship blocks, A'hyuck!" Goofy said happily. "That's what we use for transportation. Chip and Dale fashioned these themselves!"

"So are we supposed to fit in those?" Lira asked curiously.

Donald waved his staff in the air. A sprinkle of light ushered out from the staff racing towards the gummi blocks and slowly manifesting them into a ship for travel.

"We'll be back Master Yen Sid," Goofy told the sorcerer. "For the king, when he comes back!"

Yen Sid looked towards the king's companions. "Best of luck to you in your training Lira." He said to her. '_I fear you will need all the luck in the world_.' He thought as his suspicions of Xehanort grew stronger.

* * *

Ven and Levina followed the good fairies through the forest. They all saw a dark barrier blocking their way towards the mountain path. It was obviously set by Malifecent.

"Looks like we're stuck." Ven frowned.

"Not to worry dear." Fawna reassured them. The three good fairies waved their wand. Green, blue, and red bursts of light shot at the dark force field. The force field showed some resistance, but the fairies plowed on through.

The two friends watched the fairies use all their powers to break into the dark power of the evil fairy.

"Guess this is gonna take longer than we thought," Levina sighed and then looked at Ven. "Hey Ven, I want to ask you something." She told him.

"Sure." Ven replied with a smile.

"How did you get your keyblade?" She asked curiously.

Ven tried to think for a moment. "I honestly don't know," He told her making his keyblade appear. "I've always had this with me for as long as I can remember." He then looked at Levina. "Do you remember how you got yours?"

"Yeah," Levina nodded sadly. She paused for a moment. "…It was after I lost my mom to the darkness."

"Your mom?" Ven asked.

Levina smiled gently. "Yeah my Dad met her in a kingdom called Radiant Garden when he was taking his Mark of Mastery exam along with Master Xehanort. Dad always told me that my mom was kind, gentle, and a powerful mage. I'm willing to bet she was taught under Master Yen Sid."

Hearing this brought an eager smile to Ven's face. "Wow! Really?!" He then saw Levina's lips curl into a frown. "What is it?"

"I honestly believe that Master Xehanort never really liked my mom too much," Levina confessed.

Ven blinked his blue eyes in confusion and asked, "How come?"

"I think he was jealous of her. That she took away his only friend." Levina told him making her keyblade appear. "I was five when it happened…"

* * *

"_Tell me the story again Momma!" Levina chirped happily clinging to her mother's purple sash on her robes. _

_The woman smiled down at her daughter tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. She took the child in her arms lifting her up. "I've told you that story so many times." _

"_But I love that story! About the princess who makes the big bad beast fall in love with her!" Levina smiled brightly clinging to her mother. _

"_No, it's time for bed." Liora told her daughter. _

_Levina pouted. "But I'm not sleepy…" A small yawn escaped her lips. _

"_Then why is my little one yawning?" Liora asked teasingly. _

"_Cause you're not telling me the story!" Levina beamed as her mother carried her to her room tucking her in bed. "Where's Daddy, Momma?" She asked curiously as to where Eraqus was. _

_Liora sighed in dismay. "Speaking with an old friend, I'm afraid." _

"_A friend?" Levina asked seeing the look of desperation in her mother's brown eyes. "Does Daddy have a bad friend?" _

_Liora laughed lightly. "No of course not," She reassured the child. "The things he does…however –" She thought about telling her daughter of what Xehanort was capable of and then shook her head. 'No I wouldn't want this burden on her. She's still too young to know the truth.' She smiled sweetly at her daughter. "How about that story?" _

"_Yay!" Levina beamed with delight as she saw her mother clearing her throat. She handed her mother a flask which was lying nearby her bed. _

_Taking several sips from the flask Liora began her daughter's favorite story, "It all started long ago when –" Liora's words were caught in her throat as she felt a burning sensation. She coughed desperately trying to breath dropping the flask that was in her hand. _

"_Momma!" Levina jumped out of bed rushing to her mother's aid. "W-What's wrong Momma!?" She cried urgently. She saw the flask on the floor lifting it up, the tiny girl saw high amounts of darkness swirling inside the flask inside the drink which manifested into poison. Terrified of what had just happened Levina dropped the flask and ran to get her father. _

"_Daddy!" She cried out in the halls as her tiny legs carried her into towards the training grounds. She gasped in horror as she saw her father lying on the ground. He seemed to be injured as the tiny girl noticed two newly received scars on his face. She ran to her father's aid reaching for his keyblade. "D-Daddy," Levina whimpered. "You're hurt!" _

_Unbeknownst to Levina, the moment she had touched her father's keyblade, she undoubtedly performed a keyblade ceremony. Those who are Keyblade Masters who wield the mighty weapon are able to pass on the power through a simple touch. _

_Xehanort stood in front of them scowling bitterly, the child wasn't supposed to be here. _

"_L-Levina…?" Eraqus groaned as he got up from the floor taking his keyblade back from his daughter's tiny hands. "What are you doing here?" _

"_Something's wrong with Momma!" The tiny girl cried out. _

_Hearing this, Eraqus quickly hurried to his wife's side ignoring Xehanort who was just ecstatic to hear the news. "Liora where…!" He saw his wife's weakened body on the ground. "Liora!" Eraqus shouted shaking her in his arms. His voice didn't reach her. It couldn't reach her, not anymore. _

_Levina stood behind her father trembling in fear. "Is Momma alright?" She squeaked out. _

_Eraqus said nothing. He held Liora's body close to him and noticed the flask on the ground oozing with darkness. He angrily held the flask in his hand, nearly breaking it with his bare hand. "Xehanort…!"_

"_See how powerless you are to stop the darkness, Eraqus." Xehanort said idly standing by the door. _

_Levina jumped at the sound of Xehanort's voice quickly clinging to her father's side. _

"_You did this!" Eraqus screamed balling his hands into a fist. This had gone long far enough. The person he had befriended years ago was no longer this person. "You're no longer welcomed here!" He yelled. _

_Xehanort did not care at all. His job was done here, and he left without a word. He would find a new apprentice to carry out his plans. _

* * *

"That was the last time we ever saw Master Xehanort for a long time." Levina finished her story squeezing her keyblade in her hand tightly.

Ven remained silent. He couldn't fathom why Xehanort would do such a thing. He didn't have time to think as he saw a tear escape from Levina's eyes. His blue eyes gazed down at the grass beneath him. _'How am I supposed to make he feel better?' _He thought in dismay. Timidly the boy reached over touching her shoulder gently. "I'm sure Master Xehanort feels bad about what he did to your mom…" He frowned as Levina remained silent.

Ven was about to speak again when he heard the voice of Flora calling to them. The dark barrier that had separated them and Maleficent's lair was now gone.

"Shall we proceed dears?" The green fairy asked them.

Ven turned to Levina. "Come on we made a promise that we'd get Aurora's light back remember?"

Levina nodded her head turning towards Ven. "Yeah, let's go," She said to him. "This time I'll make sure the darkness doesn't hurt anyone again." She vowed.

Ven smiled as the two followed the good fairies towards a darkened mountainous hill leading up towards an eerie castle. Upon reaching the castle they saw Maleficent minions wandering the castle, they were guarding every single corridor and door in the castle.

"Careful," Fawna warned them. "They are Maleficent's minions!"

"They don't seem to be guarding anything." Ven ponded seeing one of the goons yawn. The tiny goon was obviously bored of its post.

"Ten-shun!" Ven shouted. "No sleeping on the job!"

The goons retaliated quickly firing their tiny arrows and slingshots at the intruders. The two keyblade wielders fought off Maleficent's dark forces driving them away easily since they were so tiny.

Deep down the halls, Levina noticed a glimmering light floating in the distance. "Ven! Look!" She pointed towards the light.

"That's gotta be Princess Aurora's light!" Ven said eagerly and ran towards the shimmering light. The boy froze in his tracks as he saw giant wall of darkness appear out from nowhere blocking his path. Soon more walls manifested around them boxing them in.

"We're trapped!" Levina gasped.

"Don't you worry dears," Merriwhether's voice calmly said to them.

"We'll lead you out of this dreadful maze." Flora told them.

"Just stay close." Fawna said holding her magic wand tightly casting a beam of pink light at the wall in front of her. The wall slowly opened up revealing a pathway.

The three good fairies used their magic to overpower Maleficent's darkness helping the two keyblade wielders out of the maze.

Upon reaching Princess Aurora's light they saw the light was covered in gigantic green flames. Ven twirled his keyblade in his hand and then pointed it at the glimmering orb releasing the light from its fiery prison. The light floated out of the castle back to its owner.

"That should do it." Ven said happily and then began to see images that were inside the princesses' heart. They were fragments of happy memories of Princesses Aurora meeting her prince.

"Ven?" Levina asked concerned as she saw her friend spacing out. "Are you ok?"

Ven shook his head, but a smile touched his lips. He never saw anyone so happy before. "W-What did I just see?" He wondered.

"Aurora's memory," Fawna assumed. "She must've gotten her heart back."

"That means her dream came true!" Ven replied.

"Yes," Fawna told the two keyblade wielders. "Not long ago. Dreams are very strong beliefs. Aurora's led her to her true love."

"I see you two hold strong beliefs too, don't you dears?" Flora said sweetly clinging to her wand.

Levina and Ven looked at each other. Their cheeks lightly blushed, but the two friends simply smiled at each other.

"Alright, enough talking!" Merriwhether said to her sisters. "We have to hurry and leave before Maleficent discovers us!"

The five heroes headed back towards the exit of the castle. They stopped in their tracks as they saw the great dark fairy Maleficent blocking their path.

"Someone has released Aurora's heart," The dark fairy assumed turning towards her unwanted guests. "Tell me children? Was it you?"

Ven and Levina didn't let their guard down for an instant. The two hold their keyblades tightly. "Only because you stole it in the first place!" Ven yelled.

"Yeah, that heart didn't belong to you!" Levina added and the two charged at the dark fairy.

Maleficent idly stared at the two not in the least worried of what they were capable of. The moment the two wielders of light reached them, she disappeared in a fury of green flames. The dark fairy saw the keyblades they were holding. "A keyblade…," She mused. "You two must be Ventus and Levina."

"What?" Levina gasped.

"How do you know about us…and the keyblade!?" Ven spat out at the dark fairy demanding answers as she reappeared on top of some steps away from them.

"My powers ensure I'd know of the key to bringing me hearts," Maleficent boasted. "Terra gave me a demonstration."

"Terra..?" Ven repeated eagerly. "He was here?!"

"Why yes," Maleficent reassured the small boy. "In fact, it was he who stole Princess Aurora's heart."

Ven and Levina hatefully glared at the dark fairy. There was no way Terra would do such a horrible thing. They knew their friend more than she did.

"That's a lie!" Ven yelled.

Maleficent sneered at the two holding her staff tightly. "I was asked to leave you unharmed…but it seems I have no choice!" The dark fairy outstretched her hands in the air revealing all her dark power. She had the power over sleep and would cast the two keyblade wielders into an eternal slumber.

Still angry at what Maleficent had said, Ven charged at the evil fairy with his keyblade. He suddenly tumbled over feeling groggy. 'W-What's happening to me?' He thought holding his head. "W-Why do I feel so sleepy…?"

"Ven!" Leavina gasped running over to her friend catching him in her arms. She glared at the dark witch. "What did you do to him?!"

"If you do not wish to join him, I'd suggest you'd best hand over your keyblade." Maleficent threatened.

"Never!" Levina screamed at the dark witch. She wasn't about to let the forces of darkness take away her friend, like it did her mother.

"Then you too will fall into an eternal slumber, forever!" Maleficent seethed raising her staff.

Levina held onto Ven with one arm and held her keyblade with the other. The good fairies suddenly flew in front of their new friends protecting them with their magic and driving away the dark powers of Maleficent. The brighter the light the three fairies withheld against the darkness, the keyblades became stronger and the sleep spell Maleficent had cast on Ven was nullified.

Ven's eyes fluttered opened as a yawn escaped his lips. "Was I asleep?"

"You're ok!" Levina smiled relieved. The two friends held their keyblades in the air aiming it at Maleficent releasing a beam of pure light at the dark fairy.

Maleficent howled in pain as the light shot through her body. She gasped instantly healing herself with the powers of darkness.

"What did you mean by Terra took Princess Aurora's heart?!" Levina demanded at the recovering dark witch.

* * *

Aqua had reached Maleficent's lair. She saw a small fragment of light floating passed her. "What's that?" She wondered curiously. _'There's a powerful darkness here.'_ She thought to herself and continued proceeding into the castle. Upon entering the castle she heard yelling. The yelling belonged to familiar faces. She saw Ven and Levina arguing with Maleficent. She sighed in relief seeing that her friends were alright.

"There's no way Terra would hurt someone like that!" Ven yelled at the dark witch.

"You don't believe me?" Maleficent scoffed. "That is most unfortunate for he agreed so easily."

Ven frowned hearing this.

"There's no way he could agree to such a horrible thing…" Levina pouted.

"Ven! Levina!" Aqua shouted. "Don't be fooled!" She rushed over to them.

The two friends turned seeing Aqua running over to them. "Aqua!" The two said in unison

"Terra would never do that," Aqua reassured them. "You two know that as well as I do."

Ven and Levina nodded their heads.

"The truth can be most cruel even amongst the closest of friends," Maleficent told them trying to drive the friends apart from each other. "After all, one never knows the secrets of another's heart." She smirked at the three keyblade wielders. "I'm sure you'll agree, Aqua…Ventus…Levina…"

The three of them glared at the dark fairy, but she was right. There were secrets the three of them kept from each other.

Aqua looked at the two. "Levina, your father sent me," She told them. "You and Ven…we have to go home."

"But Terra's still out there…" Ven frowned.

"Terra's not ready to come home yet." Aqua said to him. _'I'm not sure when he'll be coming home.'_ She thought to herself. _'When I passed him on the way here, there was so much confusion, anger, and worst of darkness inside his heart.' _

Ven suddenly remembered what Vanitas had told him about Terra. There was something he had to do in order to help his friend. "Sorry Aqua," He said to her. "But I can't go with you," He sighed wanting to tell Aqua the truth, but he knew she would still persuade him to go home. "It's just…I have to find Terra before it's too late!" The boy told her in desperation as he ran out of the castle. _'Terra where are you?'_ He thought worriedly.

"I'm not going either." Levina told her.

"What?" Aqua asked in surprise. "Levina your father is worried about you."

"He doesn't have to worry!" Levina told the newly appointed keyblade master. "Ven and I have taken care of things all on our own in the worlds we've been to! You, Terra, and my Dad need to stop treating us like children!" She spat out truthfully and followed Ven out of the castle.

The three good fairies watched in anticipation watching friends separate from one another.

"Wait!" Aqua yelled trying to peruse them, but Ven had already taken off on his keyblade glider.

Maleficent caught a glimpse of Aqua's keyblade as she ran to stop her friends. "I see you too, wield a keyblade." The dark fairy said eagerly.

Aqua stopped in her tracks turning towards Maleficent. "How do you know about the keyblade?!" She demanded.

"A source of power…," Maleficent ranted. "A key that opens the hearts of men, of entire worlds…and allows one to obtain anything and everything. Such a power I find most fascinating."

Aqua listened to Maleficent's words. The evil fairy was referring to what Terra had done to Princess Aurora. A horrible pain was felt in her heart. The Keyblade Master touched her heart in dismay. "So, Terra…. Did he really…" She stammered to find the words to speak.

Maleficent watched as Aqua began to doubt someone she had deeply cared for. "Yes, now, my dear, would you like to assist me as well?"

Aqua looked up at Maleficent. She tightly held onto her keyblade. "Never!" She yelled.

"I see," Maleficent began as she watched Aqua hold her ground against the forces of darkness. "Xehanort was right about you. You are a most stubborn girl."

"Master Xehanort?" Aqua questioned. She then realized that's how Maleficent knew about the keyblade and about her, Ven, Levina, and Terra. '_He must've came to this world after the exam. The village I saw earlier that was recovering from a devastating attack. Was Master Xehanort behind all of it? Did he tell this dark witch everything…?'_ Her thoughts were flooded with so many questions.

"It seems you need time to consider my offer," Maleficent raised her staff in the air. "Fortunately I have the perfect place for you."

A gaping hole of darkness appeared underneath Aqua's feet. She looked down at the darkness which consumed her and she fell through an endless sea of darkness. The good fairies saw this and quickly went to find a way to help the fallen keyblade wielder.

* * *

'_I just have to find Terra before it's too late_,' Ven thought to himself as he ventured through the Lanes Between with Levina behind him. _'I don't want anything to happen to him.'_ He thought. He felt the same about his friends. He couldn't bear to think the worst for them. '_I wonder why Levina's so quiet.'_ The boy thought almost falling off his keyblade glider as he felt something give it a mighty jolt. "What the…?!" He exclaimed turning around. A blur of darkness raced passed him. It was Vanitas and he held a struggling Levina in his arms.

"Him again!" Ven squeezed his fists. "Levina hold on!"

"Ven…!" Levina screamed reaching for her friend's hand trying to fight off Vanitas as he held onto her tightly casting a block of ice at his mask. Irritated Vanitas held onto her growling in frustration. "I'll be glad to finish you off first."

The masked boy smirked as Ven raced after them. '_That's right following me if you want to save your little friend.' _Vanitas taunted wanting Ven to follow him leading him to the Keyblade Graveyard.

* * *

Aqua's feet touched stone floor. She didn't realize how long she had been falling. Looking around she assumed that this room was a dungeon inside Maleficent's castle. She saw a figure seated nearby. His hands and legs were chained and he had no way of escape.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"My name is Aqua," Aqua said to the handsome man as she walked over to him. "I was caught in Maleficent's trap." She then looked at the young man curiously. "Why are you here?"

"To prevent me from breaking her evil curse," The young man spoke. "I met the most beautiful girl at a cottage in the glen, but now my true love lies in an eternal slumber…and only I can break the spell."

Aqua smiled gently. "You must really love her," She said to him. "Even though your trapped here, you won't stop thinking about her."

"Is what you said true?" Fawna asked as they floated into the room.

"Yes, Maleficent told me." The young man answered.

The three good fairies observed the young man closely.

"Oh Prince Phillip! " Merriwhether gasped. "It's you!"

"We'll get you out of those chains dear." Flora said as she floated over using her wand to break the shackles from the prince's hand and legs.

"The road to true love may be barred by many more dangers which you alone will have to face." Fawna said to the prince as she waved her wand. She had given the prince a sword and shield to fight off against Maleficent's darkness.

"He's not alone," Aqua told the good fairies. "I'm going with you. There's something I need to know and Maleficent has the answers."

The good fairies nodded opening the cell door with their magic wands.

The good fairies led Aqua and Prince Phillip out of the castle. However, they were being watched by Maleficent's pet crow, Diablo. The crow screeched calling out Maleficent's minions. Aqua and Prince Phillip fended off the tiny goons and continued their way exiting the castle.

Maleficent seethed as she saw the two escape. The darkness inside her already blackened heart was growing stronger. She saw that they were running towards King Stefan's castle. She raised her staff in the air accumulating dangerous amounts of darkness within her own heart. A forest of thorns surrounded the castle preventing anyone from getting inside.

Prince Phillip hacked at the thorns with his sword and then stopped as Maleficent appeared before them.

"Maleficent! What did Master Xehanort tell you?!" Aqua asked.

"Darkness is the heart of all who live and of all worlds," Maleficent began. "Xehanort has told me of a source powerful enough to sing every single world into everlasting darkness!"

'_What is Master Xehanort planning?'_ Aqua thought worriedly as she held her wayfinder in the palm of her hand.

"Such a pity child, that you do not have Terra's gift of obedience," Maleficent sneered. "Nor can you see how easy it was for him."

"Terra would never do anything to help you!" Aqua shouted.

"Quite the contrary," Maleficent told her. "He fully embraced the darkness within himself."

"Stop lying!" Aqua roared angrily.

"See for yourself what darkness is capable of – and all the powers of hell!" Maleficent roared transforming into a giant dragon. Aqua jumped dodging the dragon's claws using her shield to protect herself from the dangerous flames. She was blocked off from Prince Phillip.

"No!" Aqua yelled in dismay. She watched as Phillip valiantly fought against the giant dragon. Swinging his sword at Maleficent, nothing would keep him away from saving Princess Aurora. The three good fairies watched as the prince fought bravely.

"All together now, " Fawna instructed her sisters. "Sword of truth, fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure." They waved their wands giving the prince the power he needed to finish the dark fairy off.

Prince Phillip held the sword tightly in his hands and flung it at the giant dragon's heart. The dragon let out an agonizing scream melting away. The thorns around the castle faded and Maleficent reverted back to her normal form. She was severely weakened by the battle. The darkness inside her heart was what kept her sustained from dying.

Prince Phillip raced into King Stefan's castle to find his true love.

"It's the power of true love that defeated you." Aqua told the weakened dark witch.

"I will not be defeated by something as insignificant as _love_ ." Maleficent spat out hatefully.

"You don't even know the first thing about it!" Aqua shook her head sadly as if she was taking pity on the villain. "You're too clouded by darkness to see that there's something greater," As Aqua spoke, Prince Phillip had found Aurora and awakened her by the most powerful light of all, true love's kiss. "Try all you want, but you'll never defeat a heart filled with light."

"Perhaps," Maleficent sneered. "But remember one thing – as long as there is light , there will be darkness!" She roared. "And in time, many more will be drawn to it. Then they will all belong to me!" She cackled disappearing in green flames.

Aqua held her wayfinder close to her chest staring into the clear blue skies remembering what Maleficent said about Terra. She needed to find him. Her heart was aching. She had to tell him how she truly felt about him. '_Terra…you better stay strong for me.' _She thought and left this world to search for her friend who she had undoubtedly fallen in love with over the years.

* * *

'_Find Master Xehanort…_' Terra thought as he raced through the Lanes Between. 'Where do I even start looking for him?' He thought. He then remembered Aqua crossing paths with him as he left the world of Enchanted Dominion. He wondered if Aqua would ever look at him the same again after she finds out what he did in that world. His thoughts were disrupted by a voice.

"Master Xehanort?" Terra questioned looking around frantically. He saw a world nearby calling to him. It was a world which was empty and hollow, nothing but mountains, cliffs, and plains.

"Terra come see me at once." Xehanort's voice beckoned.

Terra touched down on the strange world abandoning his keyblade glider and armor. He saw Xehanort overlooking a graveyard of keyblades in the distance. "Master Xehanort…, I've been to other worlds. I know all of things that you've done." Terra said to him the moment he reached the old man. "I just don't understand why."

"Someone had to safeguard the light from a demon I unleashed," Xehanort told the young boy playing on his heartstrings as he put on an act of innocence. "You must know about the boy by now, the one in the mask. His name is Vanitas, a creature of pure darkness, one of my makings."

"Vanitas…" Terra ushered out the name. "Are you telling me that he came from you?"

"He came from Ventus." Xehanort answered.

The look of shock filled Terra's face. "Ventus…!"

"Vanitas is the darkness that was inside your friend," Xehanort explained. "It was an accident…" He told the boy mildly telling the truth. "While training with me Ventus had succumbed to darkness and there was but one way to save him, strip that part of him away and thus Vanitas was made," Xehanort turned away hiding a smug look on his face. Terra was buying every word he spoke. "In the process, I damaged Ventus' heart in the most horrific way. So I did what I felt was right and left him with Eraqus. I knew the boy could not stay with me," Xehanort put his gloved hand over his face faking an ashamed emotion. "The man who did him such grievous harm."

"Master Xehanort…," Terra frowned taking pity on the old man, which was exactly what Xehanort wanted. "Ventus has gotten a lot better since then. You shouldn't blame yourself for trying to save him."

Xehanort turned towards Terra. "Why thank you lad," He said appreciatively. "You know how to put an old man's heart at ease."

Still concerned for Ven, Terra asked, "Master why is Vanitas still free?"

"I did my best to contain him, the moment he emerged," Xehanort lied. "However…"

"…He managed to escape." Terra replied finishing the master's words.

"Vanitas uses the keyblade to sow seeds of darkness," Xehanort told Terra as he approached the easily manipulated young boy. "The worlds are tainted with his ghastly underlings."

"The Unversed!" Terra said in realization.

"He has no control over the darkness in his heart, the keyblade is not his to bear," Xehanort told him. "He's an abomination beyond hope or salvation." His gold eyes flickered with momentary sadness as he looked at Terra. "Lend me your strength Terra. Right this wrong that I have wrought."

"But…," Terra pondered. "I have no idea where to find him."

"What I can tell you about Vanitas amounts to this. His darkness is drawn to the light which he seeks to destroy." Xehanort said.

Xehanort's words sunk into Terra's brain like a sponge. For a moment, he saw something – a premonition – his friends were hurt by Vanitas.

"It stands to reason, that he will strike next in the city of light, Radiant Garden." Xehanort said while Terra was consumed by those visions.

"Don't worry Master," Terra reassured the old man. "I'll take care of Vanitas."

Xehanort watched Terra leave the barren world. A smug look on his face as he kicked away a bottle with a letter inside, which Vanitas had delivered to him earlier before Terra had arrived. He didn't even bother reading the letter. He felt proud being able to fool the boy, everything was falling right into his plans.

* * *

**I'd say dun, dun, dun, but its freaking Xehanort lol, he has back up plans for his back up plans. I'd never thought I'd have so much fun writing this villainous character lol. So what did you guys think of the flashback? Too cliche or just about right? Until the next update guys! Review! **


	8. Intertwining Fates Part 1

**Woot! Back for more awesome fan-fic writing for 2013 :D This is where things get complicated and plot heavy! I'll be adding quotes from the Xehanort reports because they will be necessary for future chapters and for plot purposes! **

* * *

"_Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin; without darkness, there is no light". – _Xehanort Report IV

Chapter 8: Intertwining Fates Part 1

Donald, Goofy, and Lira trudged along the path in the Lanes Between. The newly fashioned trio had set a course to Disney Town to train their newly appointed apprentice in the gummi ship. They had hoped that Lira would be able to make a difference in this never ending war with the darkness. Goofy sat beside Lira reassuring her that she need not worry about accomplishing greatness. Everything was happening so fast for her. One minute she was in the tiny village of Bolide doing her routine chores and the next she was whisked off to some strange adventure where the fate of her world, maybe every world rested on her shoulders and the other warriors of light.

"Dontcha worry about a thing Lira," Goofy said to her gently. "Once you get your trainin' done, King Mickey will have to let you be a knight."

Lira wasn't paying much attention to her friend. She was dreamily staring out the tiny circular window. The gummi ship had passed Enchanted Dominion. A small frown touched her lips. She wondered if she would ever go home again. She gently brushed her long pale blonde hair with her fingers. She always meant to cut her hair, however her mother would never allow her to. Her mother always loved long hair.

"What if I can't do it?" Lira questioned herself nervously.

Goofy affectionately placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Master Yen Sid told us you were the one who'd help us fight the darkness."

Driving the gummi ship, Donald looked back at his comrades. "Master Yen Sid is always right, so is the king!" He squawked in anticipation.

Goofy looked back at his friend. "Gawrsh Donald, shouldn't you be payin' attention to where you're going?"

"I know where we're going!" Donald yelled irritably.

"Donald! Look out!" Lira pointed in front of the ship's mirror.

Donald looked towards where Lira was pointing and squawked in terror seeing Vanitas who still had Levina in a tight hold despite her struggling and Ven racing after them. Donald placed his wings tightly on the controls and pushing a small button to activate a shield around the gummi ship so it wouldn't be damaged. He quickly swerved the tiny gummi ship out of harm's way.

Goofy protectively held Lira as the ship swerved back and forth for a few moments before steadying itself.

"See Donald, this is why we don't let you drive the gummi ship." Goofy said as he let go of Lira.

"It wasn't my fault!" Donald replied defensively. "Those kids shouldn't be fooling around in the Lanes Between!"

Lira looked out the window again. "I wonder where they're headed." She thought curiously.

"Who cares where they're headed!" Donald told her dismissively and irritated that he and his friends could've gotten killed. "We have more important things to do."

"I hope Queen Minnie's got the festival ready." Goofy said happily.

"A festival?" Lira asked with stars in her eyes.

"The million dreams festival," Donald said to her.

"Queen Minnie's throwing a festival in honor of dreams, A'hyuck!" Goofy told her happily. "Dreams are what make the light in a person's heart stronger!"

"But just because the kingdom's having a festival doesn't mean you can slack off in your training." Donald told her sternly.

"Hey you guys need me remember!" Lira shouted. "I can do whatever I want!" She told the angry duck stubbornly.

"Aw come on Donald, if she finishes her training early, we'll take her to the festival." Goofy suggested.

"With you training her, I doubt it, but I guess taking a break couldn't hurt." Donald agreed.

The trio continued their path towards Disney Town as a small glimmer of light passed them.

* * *

Ven raced through the Lanes Between. He was finally catching up to the masked boy. He noticed that he was headed towards a strange world. A world that felt oddly familiar to him. Ven felt a sudden pain in his head. _'Why does my head hurt…?'_ He thought suddenly feeling the pain increase as he flew closer to the world in front of him. A barren wasteland with keyblades surrounding an empty crossroad, the world was completely hollow. Had he been to this world before? He quickly shook the pain from his head remembering that he had to help his friend. '_I've got to help Levina,_' He thought holding his wayfinder. _'I wouldn't want anything to happen to her.'_

Levina continued struggling against Vanitas' tight hold on her. She soon stopped squirming because of the darkness radiating from Vanitas' body. _'He's completely made from darkness…' _Levina thought_. 'I don't know if I'll have the strength to fight him…_' She felt hazy, almost as if the darkness emanating from Vanitas was commanding her to sleep. '_Why…am I so sleepy…_?' She thought feeling exhausted as her eyes were getting heavier. Since Vanitas being an embodiment of darkness and Levina had never been exposed to such heavy darkness before, she felt exhausted. She slowly drifted off into slumber and felt a strange yet familiar warmth to him, just like the time she and Ven had danced together for a short moment in Cinderella's room.

Ven finally reached the barren emptiness of the Keyblade Graveyard. He disembarked from his keyblade glider wearily looking around. "Where's he hiding?" He wondered out loud and then saw Levina unconscious nearby. "Levina!" He yelled worriedly quickly racing over to her. He noticed that she was asleep. "Levina…"

"Figures all you care about is her." Vanitas sneered from behind him.

Ven quickly whirled around. "What did you do to her?!" He demanded answers and then remembered what Vanitas had told him about Terra earlier before he embarked on his journey to find his friend. "And what did you mean about Terra being a different person!?"

"Exactly what I said idiot," Vanitas replied advancing towards the boy. "The Terra you know will be gone forever," He then leered at Levina asleep on the ground. "As for your friend, she's fine for now, she just couldn't handle being in my arms."

Ven felt anger burning in his heart. Or more like a tingle of jealously. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" He spat out.

Vanitas smirked underneath his mask. He enjoyed getting a rise of anger from the boy. Ven watched in surprise as Vanitas outstretched his hand forward.

"Stupid or true?" Vanitas asked as he manifested a keyblade from the darkness. The keyblade's teeth and head were black with a red outline and possessed a round, cog-like shape. The handle which Vanitas clasped tightly around his gloved hand was red and the guard had the same coloration and cog-like shape as the teeth. The shaft was predominantly colored in shades of grey and sports a copper-colored gear in the center, with two intersecting, black chains wrapped around it. Two more chains were wrapped around the base of the shaft in a similar fashion. It also had two blue, reptilian eyes one located in the head of the blade and one embedded in the hilt. Its keychain was comprised of three small, copper gears ending in a charm resembling two halves of a gear arranged in an S-shape. This was his keyblade, the Void Gear.

"A keyblade…" Ven stammered in awe. A flood of emotions whirled around inside his heart. He felt drawn by some strange force to summon his own keyblade. _'I've gotta keep Levina safe from him.'_ He thought determinedly materializing his keybalde in his hand.

"Good," Vanitas said to the boy getting into a fighting stance. It was as if he was eager to fight him. "Let's see what you're made of."

Ven ran forward charging at Vanitas. The moment his keyblade touched Vanitas' armor, the masked boy disappeared.

"What?!" Ven exclaimed.

"You're too slow," Vanitas taunted reappearing behind Ven. "I'll make sure you suffer." He hurled lethal balls of fire at Ven.

Ven saw the balls of fire and quickly dodged rolled out of the way. _'He's so fast…,_' Ven thought to himself as he continued to dodge Vanitas' swift keyblade movements. There were times where Ven would meet Vanitas' keyblade with his, but Vanitas would shrug Ven's attack off as if it was nothing.

Levina's eyes fluttered open as she heard the sound of keyblades clanging with each other. She looked up and saw Ven fighting Vanitas. "Ven…!?" She yelled dizzily getting up on her feet. She was still reeling from the sleepy daze from a few moments ago.

Ven smiled in relief seeing that his friend was alright. "Levina! You're alright – Ahh!" The boy suddenly screamed as Vanitas took Ven's distraction as an opportunity to attack him. Ven went flying into the rocky ground with a painful thud.

"Ven!" Levina gasped in horror.

"That really all you got?" Vanitas insulted with a scowl as Ven struggled to get up on his feet. "Man, you really are worthless," He carelessly shrugged. "I'd be going against the Master's orders, but so what?" He stared down at Ven in front of him unleashing a forming ball of darkness from his keyblade. "As far as I'm concerned your job here is done."

Levina watched in fearful horror as the ball of darkness grew bigger and bigger. She had a momentary flashback of how she lost her mother to the darkness. She vowed to herself that it would never happen again that she was close to. She ran forward as Vanitas unleashed the deadly spiral ball of darkness and threw herself in front of Ven.

"Levina…!" Ven exclaimed stunned as he saw his friend protect him.

Levina felt a searing burning sensation on her back as the darkness burned through her cape leaving a nasty gash on her back. She gasped in pain as her body shook against Ven's. She didn't have any potions with her or the strength to cast cure, a magic healing spell to heal her wound.

Seeing his friend get hurt, Ven could feel tears stinging in his eyes. "Why…? Why did you do that?!" He asked in frustration and saddness.

"I…I don't want to lose you to the darkness…" Levina moaned in pain.

Ven frowned, he didn't like that she was in pain. He suddenly saw Vanitas attack again. He didn't have the strength to fight back, Vanitas was just too powerful for him to defeat at this moment Ven held Levina tightly in his arms. If this was their last moment together, he was happy he was with her.

Vanitas smirked under his mask as he saw the dark flames from his attack engulf them. Nothing was left of them except for a tiny crater on the ground.

"Don't worry!" A friendly voice echoed into their ears. "You two are safe!" It was King Mickey. The friendly mouse made his keyblade appear in his hand. "_Heal_!" The mouse yelled releasing a soothing green light from his keyblade onto Ven and Levina. In an instant, their injuries were healed.

Ven weakly looked up at their savior. Mickey smiled brightly at him and then faced Vanitas glaring at the masked boy. "Tell me where you got that?!" He demanded looking at Vanitas' Void Gear keyblade.

"Like I'm going to answer to a tiny mouse." Vanitas spat back.

"Keyblades are not something you use to bully somebody around!" Mickey yelled holding his Star Seeker keyblade in hand ready to fight. "I'll show ya what I can do!"

Ven quickly sprang to his feet feeling better from Mickey's healing spell. "We both will!" He declared.

"Count me in too!" Levina added holding her keyblade ready to fight too.

Mickey summersaulted in the air swinging his keyblade in tiny furious motions, giving Ven and Levina opportunities to attack Vanitas. Due to being outnumbered, Vanitas could not block all their keyblade wielders movements. He was indeed fast, but not fast enough when it was three against one. Every time he would try to strike down Ven or Levina, Mickey would interfere swinging his keyblade. The three of them aimed their keyblades at Vanitas together releasing bursting sparkles of light. Since Vanitas was a being of darkness, he despised the light because it was his only weakness. The masked boy fell to the ground hard as the light hit him.

The three newly friends smiled seeing that they defeated to their enemy. However, to their surprise, Vanitas wasn't defeated yet. He sprang to his feet despite getting defeated. The three keyblade wielders were ready to fight again.

"Hmph!" Vanitas sneered hatefully. "You win," He told them forming a dark corridor. "Consider yourself on probation." He told Ven before disappearing into the darkness.

"Probation?" Ven asked confused. "From what?"

"I don't know…" Levina shrugged.

The two of them looked at Mickey.

"Thanks from before," Ven said to him. "We both owe you, the name's Ventus."

"I'm Levina." Levina smiled at Mickey shaking the mouse's hand.

"I'm Mickey!" The mouse replied shaking Levina's hand.

"I see you've got a keybalde." Ven said looking Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade.

"Yup!" Mickey replied happily. I've been training under the great Yen Sid!"

"Yen Sid…," Levina repeated in awe. "He's one of the greatest keyblade wielders ever!"

Mickey nodded in confirmation. "He found out that the worlds are in trouble, so I took off to find out what was wrong, except I never told him where I was going."

Ven smiled brightly. "Well that makes three of us," He told the mouse. "We sort of ran off too."

Mickey smiled at his new friends taking out his star shard from his pocket. "This led me to you guys," He said to them. "All I have to do is think it and the star shard will take me anywhere I wanna go," He gently rubbed his head with his hand. "At least I thought it would…I haven't gotten the fine points yet, like when or where, it just kicks in whenever it wants to," He smiled brightly looking at Ven and Levina. "But I wouldn't have met you if it hadn't brought me here."

"And you wouldn't have saved our lives." Levina added.

"Yeah." Ven agreed.

"Maybe it wasn't an acciedent," Mickey said to them brightly looking at his star shard. "Maybe it starts working cause its reacting to something!" As if the star shard had heard the tiny king, it began to glow brightly, emitting a very bright light. Ven and Levina shielded their eyes as a corridor of light opened up from the star shard. Ven quickly dawned his armor taking Levina's hand and landing on his keyblade glider. There was no sign of Mickey at all. To their astonishment, they were in front of a brightly lit kingdom known as Radiant Garden.

The two disembarked Ven's keybalde glider and looked around. They saw Scrooge McDuck wandering the town square, where once Kairi was picking flowers. They both saw Mickey running off in the distant.

"Mickey…" Ven mused to himself.

"Come on let's go!" Levina told him and the two friends raced off to catch up with their new friend.

* * *

Donald and Goofy had landed the gummi ship in front of the giant castle in Disney Town. As Lira got out from the ship she noticed everyone running into town getting ready for the million dreams festival.

"Donald! About time you got here!" Daisy scolded the duck. "What took you so long!?"

"Gawrsh Daisy, we had somethin' important to do." Goofy told her.

"Yeah we're on an important mission for the king and Master Yen Sid." Donald added.

"Oh?" Daisy asked demandingly. "What could be so important that you couldn't help us setting up for the festival, Donald!"

Donald quivered in fear at Daisy's anger. "H-Her…!" He calmly said pointing his wing towards Lira, who waved at Daisy.

"A'hyuck! We're supposed to be trainin' her," Gooft told Daisy since Donald was incapable of telling his longtime girlfriend the truth. "The king and Master Yen Sid said that Lira here would be really helpful to us in fighting the darkness."

"Well," Daisy said thoughtfully. "At least you two are doing something responsible."

"Is she the one?" Queen Minnie walked over to them. Instantly Donald and Goofy saluted their queen.

Lira thought about bowing to Minnie, since she was royalty. She got down on her knees ready to bow.

"Oh no you mustn't!" Minnie told the girl gently taking her hand and helping her to stand up straight. "You don't need to bow to me dear."

"But, you're royalty." Lira said to her.

Minnie smiled gently, "Yes and here we treat everyone as equals." She told her

Lira smiled at Minnie. "I'm here to train, I want to help you guys fight the darkness," She explained to the queen. "My town was destroyed by the darkness and it took my family away from me."

Daisy and Minnie frowned at this. "That's awful!" Daisy said and then sighed. "But that's what the darkness does. It causes nothing but pain and chaos."

'_So that's why Mickey went to train with Master Yen Sid,' _Minnie thought to herself._ 'He knew something was wrong._'

Minnie smiled at Lira. "Well you can make yourself at home here," She said to her. "After you're finished with your training drop by in town to see our Million Dreams Festival."

"But…Donald said I couldn't go." Lira pouted.

Donald quacked and almost jumped out from his webbed feet. "T-That's not exactly what I said Queen Minnie…!" He stammered.

"Gawrsh Donald, it sure sounded like you did to me." Goofy said.

Donald looked at his queen nervously dropping his head in defeat, "Alright, she can come to festival once she's done with her training."

"Alright!" Lira beamed with delight.

"Well we better get the festival ready." Minnie said to Daisy.

"Right," Daisy agreed and then looked at Lira. "Good luck with your training and don't worry if Donald gets too angry, I'll straighten him out later."

As Lira was getting acquainted with her new friends, Pete was lurking about in the bushes of the courtyard. '_A festival of dreams huh?_' Pete thought to himself. '_Time for me to show those royal fellas what I can do!_'

* * *

Aqua trudged along the Lanes Between on her keyblade glider. After the events of Enchanted Dominion she was certain she had to tell Terra how she felt. She wouldn't let her emotions get in the way of fighting against the darkness, but she knew her feelings for Terra were more than just friendship. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. She suddenly saw Terra's keyblade glider hovering in front of her. '_Terra…_' She thought to herself in anticipation. _'I wonder where he's going._'

Terra had touched down on Radiant Garden just as Master Xehanort had instructed him to do. He was supposed to find Vanitas and put a stop to him. Unfortunately for him he had just missed Ven and Levina by a few seconds. He suddenly saw Unversed emerge in the town square.

"Unversed!" Terra yelled making his keybalde appear. "Master Xehanort was right!" With ease Terra took down the Unversed with his keyblade and the darkness inside of his heart. He was growing stronger with every battle and so was the darkness. Once the fight was over, he turned around seeing Master Xehanort casually strolling into town. _'What's Master Xehanort doing here?'_ He wondered and quickly followed close by curious as to what his master was doing here.

If Terra had stayed just a few more seconds later he would've been able to speak to Aqua. Aqua wandered into the town square.

"Where is he?" She desperately wondered where Terra was. She definitely saw him entering this world. She ran over to the only sole person walking around in the town square.

"Excuse me!" Aqua yelled running over to where Scrooge McDuck was. "I'm terribly sorry to bother you sir.

Scrooge McDuck turned around smiling gently at her, "Oh what a well-mannered lass you are," He said to her. "I'd be pleased as punch to help ya, if I can."

Aqua knelt down to face the tiny high classed duck at eye level. "I'm looking for a boy whose not from around here," She told him. "Have you seen him?"

"Hmm…," Scrooge pondered for a moment. "I think I know who you're talkin' about. He scampered off towards the castle in a hurry."

Aqua smiled graciously. "Thank you so much." She quickly raced off to the castle which was in the distant. '_Terra, please wait for me_.' She thought as she ran towards the castle in the distance.

* * *

**Here's the first part to the awesomeness and epicness that will happen in Radiant Garden. Will Lira get the training she needs to help everyone fight against Xehanort and his dark forces? Will Aqua get to admit her feelings to Terra? And will the four friends reunite in this fated world? You shall find out in the next chapter!**


	9. Intertwining Fates Part 2

**Here's the next chapter everyone! Ugh the trip to Radiant Garden... so many feels and things going on at once! I was so happy to finally introduce members of Organization 13 when they were somebodies and have several scenes tie in to the major plot of the game! Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

"_The World is vast—and the worlds within the greater World, uncountable. Like little islands, they dot a great Ocean Between which keeps them ignorant of each other, uncorrupted._ _Each world had its own order. Unlike us, they could not know of the World in its entirety, and we were never to enlighten them." – _Xehanort Report II

Chapter 9: Intertwining Fates Part 2

Ansem the Wise sat in his study. He had been there for days. There were moments where his several apprentices would worry about their king. The wise sage was too preoccupied studying the human heart. The heart's anatomy and emotions were what drove him to do endless amounts of research. What drives the darkness to consume something precious as the heart? Several of the residence of Radiant Garden believed that their king was clearly insane. To be locked up in a room days upon days doing endless amounts of research over something that no one could be able to comprehend. With each day he felt as though he was getting closer to the answers he was seeking, however finding one straight answer led to so many other questions.

His brown eyes fell on his journal. He kept several notes of his progress of his research. Jotting down everything and every discovery he was able to find with the help of his apprentices. A quill in one hand and a strange flavor of ice cream called sea-salt in the other. There were times the taste of the ice cream differed. Today it seemed bitter than normal.

Ansem looked up as he heard a small knock on his door. An exhausted sigh escaped the wise man's lips. '_I thought I clearly told my apprentices that I did not want to be disturbed_.' He thought. As the door opened, Ansem's annoyed demeanor turned into a sincere one.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mickey awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as he entered the room. "Your guards gave me a tough time trying to get in."

"I apologize for that, I can feel it within my veins, a dark force is looming over the kingdom," Ansem said to him. "But I always have time for you old friend." He replied with a smile.

Mickey had visited this world many times while being an apprentice for Yen Sid. The day he arrived to Radiant Garden on his first visit, he and Ansem shared a special connection with each other. They would each bounce of theories of light and darkness to one another and help each other out if they were stuck on a theory. After having long discussions, the two would share sea-salt ice cream together. It became a mediocre tradition in which the two friends enjoyed. In fact it was Mickey who had introduced the wise king to sea-salt ice cream.

The two walked down the halls of Radiant Garden's esteemed castle side by side. As they walked along the halls, the two passed several of Ansem's apprentices.

"The king's order was not to allow anyone into the castle, Aeleus!" An agitated voice groaned. The tall, broad-shouldered man that wore a dark slate grey guard uniform which is adorned with a curled heart symbol, and white glove. The front of his jacket was sporting two rows of gold buttons, silver highlights, and a red and white heart like the one on his gloves. He also wore a belt and knee-high boots, both of which are black.

"He said he knew our king, Dilan what's the harm in letting him in!" The man named Aeleus, wore a similar outfit to his guard partner retorted.

Dilan sighed in aggravation and was interrupted by a nasally voice saying, "Look at you two quarreling like an old married couple."

Hearing this Dilan rolled his eyes. "Don't you have something to research Even?"

"Indeed I do," The man named Even replied as he adjusted his lab coat. "Murmurings among the walls indicate that there are visitors from other worlds here."

"Visitors from other worlds?" Aeleus asked curiously.

"We must be on our guard," Dilan replied. "These visitors must not be allowed into the castle. It would disrupt this world's order if anyone from the outside world knew of what the king was doing."

"They will prove of great use to me in my research," Even stated then ushered a small boy forward who was also wearing a lab coat barely said anything. "Ienzo here will vouch for me, isn't that right?"

The small boy meekly nodded his head agreeing to his superior's plan.

Ansem looked at his apprentices deep in thought. "Visitors from other worlds?" He pondered and then looked at Mickey. "There are other people here like you who are not from around here my young friend."

Mickey smiled brightly replying, "Gosh I'm sure they won't cause any trouble here." He then looked up at Ansem. "The darkness getting stronger. I don't know who or what is causing this imbalance, but I'll make sure they don't harm this world."

Ansem looked down at the brave king. "How could you possibly stop such a great force on your own?" He asked in bewilderment.

Mickey smiled brightly. "That's because I'm not alone!" He replied with his usual cheerful smile. "I've got friends helping me in this fight! They're fighting just as hard as I am to stop the darkness from spreading!"

'_Is this what they call will of the heart?_' Ansem thought as he heard the brave words usher out from the tiny mouse. '_Will the darkness one day consume him because of how strong his light is_?' The more Ansem thought about the questions in his head, the more obsessed he became with finding out what the darkness was capable of doing. As Ansem watched his four appreintices bicker and argue he realized that Braig wasn't with them. '_That's odd,' _He thought_. 'Braig's guard post at the waterway ended hours ago. Where in the world could he have gone?_''

It was as if Braig mentally heard his king. He was walking down the same hallway, with Xehanort by his side.

"There you are Braig," Ansem stared suspiciously at the guest which Braig allowed to wander the castle. "And you have a guest with you."

"I mean this world no harm," Xehanort said. "I simply wish to help you in your quest for more knowledge about the darkness."

Braig patted Xehanort's back causing the old man to scowl and replied eagerly, "Gramps over here knows all about the forces of darkness since he gave up his heart for it."

At this Ansem became more intrigued and curious. "You gave up your heart to pursue the darkness?"

"The darkness is not a threat," Xehanort began. "Like the light, darkness too has a place in this world. There are those who are strong enough to withhold its grand power," His eyes fell upon Mickey. "And there are those who cower in fear of it believing that light is the only reasonable answer."

In an instant the tiny adjacent hallway became tense as the two pairs crossed paths with each other. It was almost as if pure light and pure darkness would clash right here in this hallway. Mickey's gloved fingers twitched like he wanted to summon his keyblade, but instead the tiny mouse balled his gloved hand into a fist. He could feel a chill running down his spine. With every word Xehanort spoke, the small king grew more suspicious.

'_He's gotta be the one spreading darkness to the worlds!_' Mickey thought to himself as he glared at Xehanort. "It's people like you who think darkness is the only answer! Toiling away in the darkness and losing your heart to it is like abandoning the only thing that makes you human!"

Ansem saw how angry his friend was getting. _'The darkness feeds on anger, rage, and other negative feelings inside one's heart. I cannot allow King Mickey to befall such a horrible fate.'_ He thought coming to a decision. "Braig escort your guest out of my castle at once," He ordered. "I do not want him back here again, do you understand?"

"What?!" Braig angrily spat out. "You've gotta be kidding me, right?! You've got someone who can help you in your research and your kicking him out!?"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Ansem threatened.

"I can see I've outstayed my welcome," Xehanort said. "I will not bother you again." The old man turned around walking towards the exit of the castle. Mickey watched anxiously as he stared at Xehanort's retreating back.

"Come my friend," Ansem said gently. "Let us rejoice our union with sea-salt ice cream."

Mickey looked up at Ansem as he heard this. A smile touched his lips. "You got it!"

"Told you he wasn't going to buy it." Braig said to Xehanort as he walked beside him.

A smirk touched Xehanort's lips. "Your king is just as senile as everyone else I've met," He replied. "This world will fall into darkness. I will make sure of that."

"Does that mean you're gonna follow through on your plan?" Braig asked curiously. "This better be worth it, I didn't go out of my way to join you for nothing and I better not get hurt in the process."

Xehanort just nodded in agreement to Braig's wasteful request. His plan was already in motion. He easily lured Terra to this world. Terra would be eager enough to help his friend and put a stop to Vanitas.

* * *

Lira followed Donald and Goofy through giant hall of Disney Castle. She looked around ambitiously as she saw brooms with buckets walking on their own cleaning and keeping the castle tidy.

"Wow…," Lira smiled at the manifestation before her. "I wish I had those brooms back home. I wouldn't have to lift a finger."

"It took the king years to master the spell," Goofy said to her. "Gawrsh at first he almost drowned on Master Yen Sid's Tower."

"You've gotta practice if you want to be as good as the king." Donald added.

The knight and mage led their chosen one into the library. The library was filled with walls upon walls of books. From novice spell books to advance guarding techniques to perfecting the correct form in battle.

"Do I have to read all those?" Lira groaned staring at all the books.

"Of course not," Donald said to her. "Before we train you, you need to choose a weapon."

Goofy led Lira towards a ginormous wooden desk where she saw a staff, a sword, and a shield.

"I can only choose one?" Lira asked.

"It's not you who'll have to choose," Goofy explained. "Your heart's gotta choose for you. It's a ceremony that every warrior fightin' to keep the light safe goes through."

Lira placed a hand over her chest. "My heart has to choose…" She repeated and swore she could feel her heart beat as if it was alive. The room around her suddenly became bitterly cold and everything was shrouded in darkness.

"W-What's going on?" Lira trembled gently. "Donald!? Goofy!?" She called out to her friends, but her voice couldn't reach them. _'Is this the ceremony?'_ She thought to herself.

"_The power sleeps within you."_ A voice spoke.

"Whose there?!" Lira demanded.

The voice ignored her question and continued to speak, _"If you give it form, it will give you strength." _

Lira touched her heart again. _'I-Is this my heart speaking…_' She wondered looking at the three floating weapons in front of her.

"_Choose well…_" The voice said to her.

Lira stared intently at the three weapons. Her heart had to choose the answer; she couldn't hesitate or take a second guess. The timid girl balled her fists determined to make the right choice. She looked at the choices again as the voice spoke once more out of nowhere.

"_The power of the mystic,_" The voice spoke to her. _"Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?" _

She then looked at the staff and a thought struck her, _'From what I've seen those creatures come from the darkness. It's a source of magic that has been banned for centuries in my world. I'll fight the darkness with my own strength in magic._' It was as if her hand was moving on its own reaching for the staff.

'_But strength's not going to be enough," _Lira thought. _'I'm doing this to protect people and keep them safe from the darkness.'_ She then looked at the shield.

"_The power of the guardian_," The voice spoke as Lira looked at the shield. "_Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?" _

"_The power of the warrior_," The voice spoke. "_Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?" _

'_If I have to help the others fight, I need all the strength I can have_.' She thought eyeing the sword. Lira reached for the sword. She didn't even realize her hand was making a motion towards the sword. It was as if her heart was choosing for her. "This is the power I seek." She said.

Lira almost cringed as she held the sword in her hand. Her heart was beating faster.

"_Now what will you give up in exchange_?" The voice boomed.

Lira's blue eyes gazed at the staff and shield. _'I can protect the people I care about without a shield_,' she thought. '_The good fairies back home protect people without one, why can't I?_'' With that thought in mind, Lira gave up the power of the shield.

"_Do you give up this power?_" The voice asked.

"Yes." Lira answered taking the staff in her hand.

"_Your path is now set_," The voice spoke one final time. "_You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the path you choose?_"

Lira nodded as she tightly held onto the sword and staff, one great weapon in each hand. She suddenly felt the ground tremble underneath her feet. "T-The ground's collapsing!" Lira shrieked as the darkness underneath her shattered into pieces and the young girl fell into the darkness.

"Lira!" Goofy's voice echoed to her.

"Wake up!" Donald's voice called to her.

Lira groggily opened her eyes. She found herself back at the library with Donald and Goofy hovering over her with worried and anxious looks on their faces.

'_Did I dream that place up?_' Lira thought and sat up quickly. "Did I pass the ceremony?" She asked them curiously.

"Why don't you look at your hands and tell us." Donald replied cheekily pointing to the sword and staff in her hands.

'_Guess that wasn't a dream after all._' Lira thought smiling to herself.

"A'hyuck! Congratulations Lira!" Goofy said happily shaking her hand. "You passed with flying colors! Now we can train ya!"

Lira smiled embracing what would eventually be her destiny and this was just the beginning.

* * *

Ven raced up the steps of Radiant Garden's castle.

"Ven wait for me!" Levina called to him as she panted for air trying to keep up with him. She caught her breath and looked around. She smiled seeing the castle walls planted with various flowers. It was almost like being home again.

"I thought I saw Mickey come here." Ven pondered scratching his head.

He and Levina saw two guards at the front of the castle. It was Dilan and Aeleus guarding the castle doors.

"Maybe those two have seen Mickey," Levina said. "How about we ask them?"

"It's worth a shot." Ven ran over to the two men guarding the castle doors. Immediately Dilan and Aeleus held their weapons up high blocking the entrance of the door to the two strangers before them.

"The castle is presently closed." Aeleus told the two of them.

"But we thought we someone here." Levina said to them.

"Yeah," Ven added. "He's a friend of ours."

Dilan and Aeleus exchanged glances at each other before returning their hard gaze at the children in front of them.

"We aren't aware of any visitors." Dilan replied flatly. "Now run along children before the monsters get you."

"Monsters?" Levina repeated. "Guess the Unversed are here too."

Ven frowned in disappointment. He was sure that Mickey had walked up these steps. "I could've sworn it was him."

"Come on Ven lets go and –" Levina stopped speaking as she saw the head of an Unversed floating in front of them. "What is that?!"

"They're here!" Aeleus replied gripping his axe sword tightly.

"Radiant Garden shall not fall to the likes of you." Dilan said twirling his lance.

"Radiant Garden?" Ven repeated and then looked at Levina with a smile on his face. "Didn't you say that this was your mom was from?"

"Yeah!" Levina brightly answered and then looked at the guards. "Excuse me, but do you two happen to know someone by the name of Liora?"

Dilan and Aeleus stopped persuing the Unversed that was threatening their city. They looked back at the girl.

"She was one of our king's finest mages." Aeleus said.

Levina was about to tell them who she was but frowned when she heard Dilan speak.

"Liora ran off with some stranger from another world years ago claiming to be in love with him," Dilan added with a disdain scowl. "We never saw her again."

"Oh…" Levina frowned gently. '_Is that what it's like to be in love?_' _To ignore everything and everyone around you, just to be with one person?_' She thought.

"Levina! Come on!" Ven said to her as he ran down the steps. "We've got to make sure that Unversed doesn't hurt anyone in town!"

"Right!" Levina nodded following Ven. She wouldn't let her mother's world be destroyed by the Unversed.

"Stop!" Aeleus called to them.

"Your just children!" Dilan shouted trying to stop them. They were about to follow the two keyblade wielders leaving their post at the castle gates when they heard a familiar voice from behind them.

"Now who do you think will defend the castle if you two go skipping off?" It was Even. The two guardsmen could recognize his nasally voice anywhere.

"But those children can't possibly fight a monster that big…" Aeleus began.

Even watched Levina and Ven run off down the steps of the castle. "Never you worry about them," He told them eyeing Ven very closely as if he knew something the others didn't. "Especially that boy, he's a special case."

"A what?" Aeleus asked.

"Even is right," Dilan said. "Our lord and castle come first. Those children will have to fend for themselves."

"Which reminds me," Even told them. "Our lordship was asking for you two." He ordered the two guardsmen to retreat into the castle. Even continued to watch the two children chase the giant Unversed. "A heart devoid of darkness," He thought out loud referring to Ventus. "Stripped from his heart, it is very questionable." As the three men went into the castle, Kairi was running off in terror being chased by a fledgling of the Unversed.

* * *

The two keyblade wielders chased the Unversed they were following to the Central Square entrance. They both saw Scrooge McDuck trying to fend off the giant creature.

"Get back you awful fiend!" Scrooge yelled. "You won't be getting' my money!"

"Hey!" Ven yelled to Scrooge. "Look out!" He threw his keyblade like a boomerang hitting the Unversed in the back of its giant head.

The Unversed retreated running off into town.

"We have to go after it!" Levina yelled and the two continued to chase after the giant Unversed.

"Hold on a minute lads!" Scrooge called out to them. "Don't I even get a chance to repay ya?"

"Oh you don't have to do that." Ven told the rich duck.

"We're not interested in money." Levina said to him.

"Now hold your horses," Scrooge told them. "I didn't mean my fortune!" The tiny duck took off his hat reaching into it and taking out tickets to something called a Million Dream Festival at Disney Town.

"These are lifetime passes to Disney Town," Scrooge told them. "There's a festival of dreams going on there right now." He then looked at the two teens closely. "If I were you two, I'd be advised to take some grown-ups with ya."

"Grown-ups?" Ven and Levina repeated looking at each other.

While this was going on Terra wandered the roads and pathways of Radiant Garden. He wanted to see Xehanort and ask for his guidance once more. _'I was positive I saw Master Xehanort here_,' He thought to himself. '_I wonder if Aqua, Ven and Levina are alright? I've been away from them for so long, it's like I've lost a piece of myself. Is that why the darkness keeps clinging to me?' _ As Terra pondered these words he saw the body of a gigantic Unversed hovering over the city.

"Guess Master Xehanort will have to wait!" Terra said making his keyblade appear in his hand. _'Just because my heart is losing itself to the darkness, doesn't mean I won't stop from keeping innocent people safe.'_

He continued following the strange Unversed. Without realizing it, Terra was passing Ven and Levina who were running into town that very moment.

* * *

Mickey was finishing his sea-salt ice cream in Ansem's study. He carelessly looked out the window at the vast city surrounded by light. It would be terrible if this world fell into darkness. He saw Kairi being chased by the Unversed.

"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed jumping to his feet.

"What is it my friend?" Ansem asked curiously.

"That girl!" Mickey anxiously answered pointing out the window to where Kairi was. "She needs help!" The tiny mouse held out his hand summoning his keyblade.

As Ansem saw the magical keyblade in his friend's hand, he became fixated by it. He didn't even realize that the ice cream in his hand was melting. He wanted to know more about this strange weapon his friend was wielding.

"Sorry to cut this visit short, but I've gotta help that little girl!" Mickey quickly put aside his ice cream stick on Ansem's desk. Etched on the ice cream stick was the word: WINNER.

Ansem stared at the ice cream stick on his desk as Mickey ran off. '_Perhaps one day we can day we can share another treat together_.'

As Mickey raced out of the castle, Aqua had just reached the steps of the castle. She must've just missed Ven and Levina. She frowned when she realized Terra wasn't here, but became self-aware of what was going on when she saw Kairi being chased by Unversed.

"No!" Aqua yelled making her keyblade appear in her hand. "Come over here quick!"

Kairi's legs trembled as she was surrounded by Unversed. She tightly clung to the flowers she was holding in her hand. When she saw her chance, the tiny girl ran towards Aqua. She fearfully gripped onto the handle of Aqua's keyblade, either of them not realizing that Kairi had performed a keyblade ceremony. One day this girl would be able to wield a keyblade.

Aqua looked down at the small girl gently smiling at her. "It's alright," She said to her soothingly. "I'll keep you safe."

Hearing this Kairi smiled at Aqua.

'_I can feel a strong light in this girl's heart._' Aqua thought. '_Is that why the Unversed are after her?_'' She looked at the swarm of Unversed advancing on the two. '_There's no way I can fight like this._' Aqua thought realizing she was out numbered. One of the Flood Unversed climbed the castle walls leaping at the two.

Aqua readied her keyblade to attack the tiny creature of darkness, but Mickey intervened slicing the creature in half.

"Hurry!" Mickey said to Aqua. "You have to get that girl to safety."

Aqua looked at Mickey in surprise. "Who are you?" She asked the tiny mouse. "Why do you have a keyblade?"

"I'll tell ya later," Mickey told her. "Right now we gotta stop these things."

Aqua nodded lifting Kairi with arm and set her aside away from the Unversed. "Stay here ok?" She told the small girl.

Kairi nodded and watched as Aqua ran back to aid Mickey and fought the Unversed with him.

"Let's get 'em!" Mickey said bravely.

"Right!" Aqua nodded.

The two skilled keyblade wielders fought off the Unversed. Together the power of their light surpassed the creatures of darkness. Once it was safe enough, Kairi ran back to her two saviors. After the battle was over, Aqua thanked the small mouse.

"My name is Aqua," Aqua introduced herself. "I train under Master Eraqus."

"I'm Mickey!" The tiny king replied in his usual happy demeanor. "I used to be Master Yen Sid's apprentice. I came back to him for more training."

Aqua looked up at Kairi. "I sense light within this girl," She said to Mickey. "Do you think that's why they attacked her?"

"Yup!" Mickey nodded. "I think you might be absolutely right. If you ask me, she must be absolutely extraordinary."

Aqua agreed with Mickey's confirmation. "Yes, I think she's someone we're supposed to protect."

Mickey smiled at this. "We should join forces," He said to her happily. "And protect the people with strong light in their hearts!" The small mouse held out his hand to her, but suddenly his star shard began to glow. "Oh no! Not now!" He exclaimed. Mickey's star shard sent the mouse away from his new friend. "See ya real soon!" He screamed to them leaving the world of Radiant Garden.

Kairi graciously held out her flowers to Aqua. "Here," She said to the woman in front of her. "A present for saving me." She smiled sweetly.

Aqua smiled at the tiny girl as she took the flowers in her hand. "Thank you so much," She said. "You're so sweet."

"My name's Kairi!" Kairi said beaming with pride. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too," Aqua replied. "I'm Aqua," The keyblade master introduced herself to the little girl. "Kairi about that light inside your heart…"

Aqua was about to explain to Kairi the importance of the light inside her heart when they both heart Kairi's grandmother calling to her.

"Oh!" Kairi waved to her grandmother. "Grandma!" The tiny girl walked towards her grandmother.

"Kairi wait a second." Aqua said to Kairi causing her to stop. Aqua gingerly placed her fingers on Kairi's charm necklace casting a protective spell on her. "I just cast a magic spell on you," She explained. "One day when your in trouble, the light inside your heart will lead you to a light of another. Someone to keep you safe."

Hearing this, the small girl's eyes shined brightly. It was like a fairy tale to her. "Thanks!" Kairi said happily and ran to her grandmother.

"There you are." Kairi's grandmother smiled. "It's time to go home."

Kairi nodded to her grandmother taking her hand. She turned around waving good-bye to Aqua and then walked off with her grandmother cheerfully as if nothing ever happened. The small girl looked up at her grandmother with a smile on her face. "Hey Grandma, could you tell me that story again?"

Kairi's grandmother laughed. "I've told you that story many times before dear child." She said.

"Please!" Kairi pleaded.

"Oh alright," Kairi's grandmother smiled telling Kairi her favorite story. "_Long ago, people lived in peace bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves and darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the lights in people's hearts. It covered everything and the worlds disappeared. But, small fragments of light survived in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost worlds which is the worlds we live in now, but the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other, but someday a door to the inner most darkness will open and the true light will return." _

Kairi's Grandmother smiled at her grand-daughter. "So listen well child, even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away."

Aqua smiled watching the two walk off. She held her wayfinder tightly. "Something tells me I didn't run into her by accident." She said to herself. _'I just wish I could run into Terra, Ven, and Levina again. I hope they're all safe.' _ Aqua thought as she continued to explore Radiant Garden in search for her friends.

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Effing plot everywhere x.x It's so freaking tough to tie in everything together. Which is why I'm going to add another part so I can finish the trip to Radiant Garden in the next one :D Until then review! **


	10. Intertwining Fates Part 3

**Here's the new chapter everyone! I have to give credit to the Xehanort and Eraqus flashback here - post/39947559405/first-journey-kingdom-hearts-doujin It's an awesome fan comic of how Xehanort and Eraqus met! So I gave credit where credit is due :D Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

"_My heart sought knowledge, and so I sometimes visited other worlds—though such travel was forbidden unless duty required—and found what my heart sought." – Xehanort Report I_

Chapter 10: Intertwining Fates Part 3

Aqua smiled watching Kairi leave with her grandmother. She was a very special girl. The light within her heart was so bright. Just like the many princesses Aqua had seen throughout her journey.

'_With such a powerful light inside that girl's heart, I know darkness will find a way to steal her pure light. Just like it did today…_' Aqua thought. '_I hope the spell I cast will be able to protect her and take her to someone with a light inside their heart just as powerful as hers. Someone out there needs to keep that girl safe_.' She held the flowers tightly in her hand before using her profound magic to make them disappear. It was common for keyblade wielders to make objects that they thought would get damaged in battle or were important keepsakes to make sure the special item wouldn't get lost.

As Aqua left the castle walls something caught her eye. Her blue eyes caught the gaze of giant Unversed hovering over the city. Its arms were hovering like a helicopter to keep it afloat in the sky.

"More Unversed!" Aqua cried out in annoyance. "It never ends!" She quickly ran down the steps with her keyblade in hand following the giant monster threatening the city.

Terra, Aqua, Ven, and Levina were on the same path. Following the giant Unversed from harming the city of lights, the four friends found themselves together again. The Unversed which each individual had followed to the kingdom's reactor was really three separate pieces. The reactor was supplied the city of all its source of power. It's what fueled this magnificent kingdom's power supply.

Terra was already at the kingdom's reactor. Aqua was next to arrive. The two friends smiled at each other.

"Terra!" Ven called out.

"Aqua!" Levina shouted.

The two older teens turned around seeing their other two friends in surprise.

"Ven?! Levina?!" Terra and Aqua shouted in surprise.

There was no time for an explanation as to how the two younger children got here. The Unversed known as Trinity Armor was ready to attack. Was it fate that brought them together or a coincidence? Whatever the reason, the four friends readied their keyblades as the Trinity Armor Unversed fused its remaining parts together.

The Trinity Armor sent out a barrage of fireballs at the four friends causing them to scatter around the square reactor. The large Unversed then charged at Terra slamming its large fist into the boy.

"Terra!" Aqua cried out. She immediately casted her shield around him causing the giant armor to withdraw and go after her instead.

"Aqua look out!" Levina shouted throwing her keyblade at the back of the armor along with Ven.

Aqua cartwheeled out of harm's way gracefully dodging the giant armor's reckless bouncing.

"Leave our friends alone you big jerk!" Ven yelled.

Realizing the armor was out numbered, the giant Unversed unleashed its ultimate attack. Spinning around like a top, the Unversed then unleashed a barrage of lethal lasers from its torso. Each keyblade wielder became target practice for the giant monster. They continued to dodge the lasers as best they could and realized fighting the Unversed individually wasn't going to help. So they regrouped and the Trinity Armor stopped firing its tiny lasers an unleashed a triangular shaped laser from its hands. Terra and Aqua used their keyblades to block the laser from touching their younger friends. They staggered and struggled to keep their friends safe.

"We have to do something!" Aqua said.

"This Unversed is really out to destroy us!" Levina added.

"We need to try." Ven told them.

"Together," Terra told his friends. "We'll finish this together!"

Aqua, Ven, and Levina nodded at Terra's request. The bond of their friendship was so powerful. The warmth from the light in their hearts caused their wayfinders to glow brightly. They held out their keyblades at the Unversed releasing beams of light which radiating with strength. The Trinity Armor Unversed tumbled against the wall. It was still able to fight, but the keyblade wielders weren't going to allow it to strike again.

The four keyblade wielders ran at the damaged Unversed. They all leapt in the air striking the Unversed from different directions. The Trinity Armor eerily shrieked as if it was screaming falling to the ground in pain and disappearing into the darkness.

"Got him." Terra said proudly

"We did it!" Levina cheered happily.

"We make a good team." Aqua smiled at her friends.

"Sure do!" Ven agreed. He then remembered what Scrooge McDuck had told him about the passes he received earlier. "I got you guys these tickets!" He told Aqua and Terra.

"For what?" Terra asked.

"Lifetime passes to Disney Town!" Levina answered.

Ven handed Terra and Aqua the tickets awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "He said…," The small boy began. "He said to take grown-ups." He said in a pouty tone.

"You mean us?" Aqua asked.

"Well why not?" Levina asked. "You two deserve it," She smiled at them. "You're always looking out for the two of us."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." Terra replied pocketing his ticket.

Aqua looked at Ven and Levina sternly. "Look you two, this has gone far enough," She told them. "We have to take you home."

"It's ok, Aqua," Ven told her. "Levina and I have been doing fine on our own. We've gotten a lot stronger since we left and that guy in the mask is history. He'll never bad mouth Terra again."

Hearing this Terra grew concerned. He gripped Ven's shoulder tightly. "You saw the boy in the mask?"

Ven gently quivered in fear at his friend's seriousness. "Y-Yes…," The boy stammered.

"Vanitas…" Terra said out loud remembering what Xehanort had told him. '_If what Master Xehanort says is true then…he comes from Ven,' Terra thought. 'I can't tell him that. It'll break what's left of his heart.' _ He looked at Ven and Levina. "You two need to go home with Aqua."

"But…" Levina protested.

"No way!" Ven said stubbornly almost like a child. "We want to go with you guys."

Terra sighed. "We have a dangerous task ahead of us," He told them. "I don't want either of you to get hurt."

'_A dangerous task?'_ Aqua thought to herself. '_Did the darkness already take his heart? Was Maleficent right about him?'_ All these questions flooded her head. She knew it wasn't the right time to confess how she really felt about him. She turned towards the older boy. "What is this dangerous task, Terra?" She asked him curiously. "It's not what the Master told you to do." She said referring to Eraqus.

'_How am I supposed to tell her what I've done?_' Terra thought. '_My heart was easily led astray by darkness. If Aqua knew what I did to Princess Aurora, she would never look at me the same again._' Terra looked into her worried blue eyes. "It might be a different route," He said to her. "But I'm fighting the darkness."

Aqua lowered her eyes to the ground. _'No you haven't!_'' She wanted to say. "I'm not so sure…" She said to him desperately. "I've been to the same worlds as you…and I've seen what you've done."

Ven and Levina stared silently at the teens.

"This doesn't look good." Ven frowned.

"Yeah…" Levina agreed.

"You shouldn't put yourself so close to the darkness!" Aqua said to Terra.

"Listen to yourself Aqua!" Ven spat out. "Terra would never -" Ven's words were cut short as he heard Terra speak.

"You mean you've been spying on me?" Terra asked with a hint of anger in his voice. He was struggling to keep his emotions calm in front of his friends. "Is that what he said to do?" Terra scowled. "The Master's orders?"

Hearing this Levina frowned. "My Dad wouldn't do anything to hurt you, Terra!" The small girl told him coming to her father's defense.

Aqua remained silent as she looked away from Terra.

"Levina's right, Terra," Ven told him. "Master Eraqus means well. Maybe you should come with us and explain things to him."

'_Explain what?!_' Terra thought angrily. '_That I've tainted myself with darkness. If Master Eraqus finds out…He'll never let me become a keyblade master._' He walked away from his friends.

"Terra, wait!" Ven told him slowly trailing behind.

Terra couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted to be by himself. Away from his friends who he thought trusted him to do the right thing. "Just stay put!" He yelled at Ven causing the boy to freeze in his place. "I'm on my own now, alright!?" He told his friends.

Ven lowered his eyes to the ground. He hated being yelled at, especially when it came from his friends.

Levina placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Terra!" Aqua yelled. "Please just listen…," She began as Terra walked away from them. _'There are so many things I wanted to say to you. I don't think it's the right time yet…To tell you how much you mean to me.'_ She thought disheartened. "Master Eraqus has no reason to distrust you! He was just worried!" Her words could no longer reach him.

Aqua then turned to Ven and Levina. "So now you both know the truth." She said to them.

"Why would my Dad order you to spy on Terra?" Levina asked.

Aqua sighed in dismay. "He's worried that his heart will lead him into the darkness," She explained. "Master Eraqus wanted to make sure that it wouldn't happen." She looked at them. "But the Master loves Terra. He loves all of us."

Levina gently smiled. "He does," She replied. "My Dad treats you guys like he's your own children too."

Ven couldn't hear what his two friends were saying. He was still so confused as to why Terra left. He looked at Aqua. "Did Master Eraqus also order you to take us home, Aqua?" He asked. At this question, Aqua said nothing. "Aqua," Ven said to her. "Now that you've become a keyblade master, you've let it gone to your head!" He said angrily. "I'm going to go find Terra!" Ven ran off trying to find his friend.

Levina looked at Aqua. "Is that true?" She asked her. "Did my father order you to bring us back home?"

Aqua nodded. "That doesn't mean I wasn't worried about you or Ven or Terra, either," Aqua said. "You three are really important to me!"

"Your important to us too, Aqua." Levina said comforting the older teen. "We should find Ven and Terra." She turned following Ven.

As Levina turned, Aqua noticed the healing gash on her back from her fight with Vanitas. "Levina, hold on a minute!" Aqua ran up to her. "Did you get hurt in a fight?"

"W-Well…sort of…" Levina stammered as Aqua sternly glared at her.

"I trained you to fight!" Aqua scolded her. "Not to be reckless in battle!"

"B-But…I…," Levina whimpered. "I…I was just trying to keep Ven safe!"

Hearing this Aqua's anger towards the small girl slowly diminished. "That's still no reason to put yourself in danger!" She told her. "If anything happened to you, Ven would never forgive himself and neither would we," She smiled at Levina asking her a girlish question, "You really care about Ventus, don't you?"

Levina's face turned pink as Aqua asked her this. "Um…o-of course," Levina answered. "He's my friend. Why wouldn't I care?"

Aqua smiled gently laughing. "No I mean you care about him not only because he's your friend. It's because you want something more…" She explained.

"Something more?" Levina repeated.

'_Just like I want to be more than just friends with Terra. I wonder if I'll ever see him again_.' Aqua thought to herself and shook the thoughts out of her head. "Come on let's find Terra and Ven."

"Yeah!" Levina smiled following Aqua as they left the reactor.

* * *

Terra continued walking to the outskirts of Radiant Garden. He passed the Town Square heading down to the waterway. '_Master Xehanort is the only one I can count on now.' _ He thought to himself as he touched his chest. He felt his heart beat faster as the darkness slowly started to infect is heart.

"You must be Terra." Braig's voice echoed in the tiny area.

"Who are you?" Terra asked curiously staring at the man in front of him.

"You don't need to know that," Braig replied cheekily. "Although, I'll bet you know someone by the name of Xehanort." He said smugly. "That old coot won't stop asking about you."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked.

Braig rolled his eyes. "Man you're slower than I thought," He taunted. "Do I have to spell it out for you? Xehanort or whatever he's called. He's my prisoner."

Terra let out a small laugh. "You're not very good at telling lies are you?" He smirked lightly. "Master Xehanort would never let himself get caught by a thug like you!"

"As if," Braig retorted. "I've got the old coot at my mercy at the outer garden. Better hurry before I lose my patience." The guardsman walked off. '_That brat should've taken the bait or I swear I just might finish off that old coot. This is getting ridiculous! Like I'd want to play puppet master to that lame keyblade wielder.' _Braig thought as he left Terra with his thoughts.

"There's no way it can true." Terra said to himself. '_But if it is…I might lose my only guidance over the darkness._'

Terra followed Braig deeper into the waterway. It was a secluded area known as the Purification Facility. It was a place Ansem the Wise and his many apprentices used for their research over the darkness and the light. On occasion several of Ansem's apprentices would use this place to train. Terra looked around the vast room. '_There's no sign of Master Xehanort._' Terra thought and then turned around seeing the only person he could trust in chains restrained to a metal pipe.

"Master Xehanort…!" Terra cried out in concern.

"That old coot really knows how to take punishment," Braig said to Terra. "Just like I know how to dish it out."

Terra made his keyblade appear in his hand, holding it firmly. "What are you after?!"

"That thing right there," Braig replied pointing to Terra's keyblade. "It's called a keyblade isn't it? Seems like these days everyone's got one of those. Even grandpa over there," He continued nudging his chin towards Xehanort. "When I nabbed him, he told me all about it. What a weapon like that can do. How could I not want one?"

Terra glared. "Well you'll find they're picky about their owners!"

"If I heard the old guy right, you're what they call 'keyblade master' material." Braig told the older teen knowing that Terra would definitely buy into their plan.

'_Me_?' Terra thought. '_Keyblade Master material_?'

"So if I defeat you, that'll make me the next key-slinger around here," Braig said holding his arrow gun in his hand playfully tossing it in the air and then catching it like this fight didn't matter to him at all.

'_He won't get his hands on the keyblade,_' Terra thought. _'I have to stop this insane lunatic_!' Terra charged forward towards Braig hurling his keyblade at the guardsman.

"Hold it, take one more step and the old coot goes boom," Braig told Terra aiming his arrow gun towards the restrained old man. "You think I'm actually going to fight fair? As if, that keyblade you've got is too valuable to go one on one."

'_I can't risk Master Xehanort getting hurt._' Terra thought holding his keyblade sideways blocking Braig's arrows from his weapon. He struggled to keep his balance on the ground as Braig continued to fire at him. There was nothing more that he could do with his master imprisoned. The boy hit the ground hard as one of Braig's arrows knocked him down.

"For a Keyblade Master you're not very good." Braig taunted.

Terra picked up his keyblade and got up from the ground.

"What are you doing, Terra!?" Xehanort finally spoke. "You must fight!"

"But Master…!" Terra protested. "What about you?!"

"Never mind me boy," Xehanort replied. "You can't let this ruffian win! It would be an embarrassment to your fellow pupils as well as Master Eraqus!"

'_He's right_,' Terra thought. _'I already failed Master Eraqus once during the exam, I won't let it happen again!'_ With that thought in mind, the darkness inside of Terra's heart grew stronger. The darkness slowly began feeding off of his. Terra found it difficult to breathe as he felt the darkness pulsate through his body. He heavily gasped as he raised his keyblade, a dark aura surrounding his body and unleashed a lethal beam of darkness directly at Braig.

Braig had no time to act. The beam hit his face piercing his left eye. The guardsman let out an anguish scream covering his eye and fell to his knees. '_What the hell…?!_' Braig thought to himself. '_That old coot swore I wouldn't get hurt!' _He glared at Terra as he fired another lethal dark beam which freed Xehanort. '_That kid just got lucky. I'm high tailing it out of here before I get killed._' With what little endurance he had left, Braig raced up the steps out of the waterway towards the castle.

Terra stared at the power ushering from his keyblade. "This power…" He mused.

"Well done Terra," Xehanort commended the boy on a job well done as he walked over to him. "You have taken yet another step forward."

"But I was consumed by anger and hatred," Terra replied feeling utterly ashamed of what he had done. It was just like the time he was forced to steal Princess Aurora's light. "That was the power of darkness!" Terra lowered his head. "I've succumbed to the darkness." He thought out loud. _'Ven, Levina, and Aqua will never look at me the same way again. Aqua would probably hate more than she already does. Master Eraqus will never let me become a Keyblade Master now.' _He thought. "I can never return home now."

"Then don't," Xehanort said flatly. "You can become my pupil."

Terra looked up at Xehanort in surprise as to what he had just been offered.

"Master Eraqus is so afraid of darkness that he too has succumbed," Xehanort began. "Not to darkness, but to light. It shines so bright that he forgets that light begets darkness. Your friends too have a light that shine brightly inside their hearts. It is only natural that they cast shadows within your heart."

'_Is that why I'm always so tempted with the darkness?_' Terra thought slowly squeezing his hand into a fist. '_Because of the bright light shining inside my friends heart._'

"Eraqus, he's such a fool!" Xehanort went on. "He forgets that light and darkness are a balance. One that must always be maintained," He continued speaking. "Terra, you are the one that shows the true mark of mastery, but Eraqus refuses to see it and I know why," The old man faced Terra. "It is because he fears you."

Terra looked at his elder master in shock. "Why does Master Eraqus fear me so much, master?"

"The power of darkness has always frightened him," Xehanort began. "Even though the day we met he saved me from it…."

* * *

_A boy stood on a beach. The calm waters brushed up against the sand as the sun was about to set. _

"_This world is too is just too small." The boy spoke. _

_His gold eyes stared down at a piece of paper that he had in his hand. 'I've got everything I need.' He thought staring at the make-shift raft he had made from the trees. Placed on the raft were mushrooms, a seagull egg, coconuts, fish, and fresh water. He would no longer after to stay on this tiny island, devoid of life. The boy set sail into the ocean in hopes of finding the answers he desperately wanted. Deep into the ocean a storm was brewing. Then all of a sudden lightning struck the raft. _

_Darkness…_

'_Is this the end of me?' The boy thought. 'Will this be how I get to other worlds?' The darkness around him suddenly faded as he felt a hand slap his face. The boy touched his cheek and looked up seeing another boy. He was not from around here. _

"_Are you ok?" The other boy asked in concern. He then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry I couldn't come up with some other way to wake you up." The smaller boy then introduced himself. "My name's Eraqus and…" He trailed off pointing to the older boy's raft. "I'm sorry I destroyed your raft." _

_The boy named Eraqus saw the bottle of water the other boy had was still intact. He picked up the bottle in relief. "Your bottle's ok…um…"_

"_My name is Xehanort." The boy said calmly curiously staring at Eraqus. _

"_That's an interesting name." Eraqus replied. _

"_Where are you from?" Xehanort asked. _

"_I'm from…," Eraqus searched for the right word. He wasn't allowed to tell people of other worlds where he was from. "…Another island!" _

_Xehanort wasn't buying the lie he had just heard. "Really?" He asked as his eyes examined the younger boy. _

"_Ok, ok!" Eraqus confessed not liking how Xehanort could see right through him. "I'm from another world!" He then looked around wearily. "Please don't tell anybody!" _

_Xehanort saw something clutched in the smaller boy's hand. It looked like a star. "Did you use that coming here?" He asked curiously. _

"_Oh, this?" Eraqus held out the star shaped device in his hand. "This is a Star Shard," He explained. "I kinda borrowed it, I wanted to see what it did and ended up here." _

"_Fascinating…" Xehanort mused in more curiosity. _

"_But normally you use the keyblade to travel," Eraqus went on. "But I can't use the glider ye-" He saw Xehanort's face go into a sort of trance as Eraqus mentioned the word keybalde. _

"_Key…blade…," Xehanort repeated. "Such a familiar sound…."_

_Eraqus looked at Xehanort as if he had lost it completely. _

"_Show me the keyblade." It wasn't a request, it was more of a command. _

"_I can't!" Eraqus protested. _

_Xehanort said nothing and just stared at the younger boy hard with his piercing gold eyes. _

_Eraqus nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Oh alright," He sighed. "I did destroy your raft…" The small boy held his hand out. In an instant, a key-shaped sword was in his hand. Eraqus smiled proudly. "That's how you summon a keyblade," He told Xehanort. "But you need rigorous training." _

_Xehanort mimicked Eraqus' hand motion and held his hand out. Seeing this Eraqus laughed lightly and said, "You can't just stretch out your hand and –" To his surprise a keyblade had manifested in Xehanort's hand. _

"_WHAT!?" Eraqus exclaimed. 'It took me five years to summon mine!' He thought in disappointment. _

"_How do you use it?" Xehanort asked staring at his new weapon in his hand. _

"_I've been training under my Master." Eraqus answered. _

"_Take me to them." Xehanort replied. _

'_Thought he'd say that….' Eraqus thought and then smiled saying, "You got this far quickly…I'm sure the Master would be pleased to take you on as his appreintice! Plus we can motivate each other to be strong keyblade wielders!" Eraqus then grasped his keyblade tightly in his hand boasting, "…Of course I'll become a Keyblade Master before you!" _

_Xehanort said nothing to this remark. He was just eager to leave his home and see what else what out there. _

_Eraqus then held out his hand again. "I'll introduce myself again," He began. "I'm Eraqus, let's be friends!" _

_Xehanort absent mindedly stared at the smaller boy's hand and then shook it. _

"_Hold on tight!" Eraqus said to the older boy as he raised the star shard in the air. The magical devices engulfed the two in warm light and were transported off the island. _

'_I can finally escape this prison…,' Xehanort thought. 'And maybe…I can find what is missing.' _

* * *

Xehanort took Terra's hand in his. "Join me Terra," He said to him eagerly. "Together we can do the worlds much greater good." He said clasping his hand tightly. "By wielding light and darkness in equal shares."

"Master Xehanort…" Terra ushered out. He felt almost appreciated that someone wasn't giving up on him like everyone else in his life.

"See more worlds," Xehanort instructed. "Seek out the darkness that upsets the balance. Find Vanitas, and bring an end to him!" He then turned towards Terra's direction. "Master Terra…"

Hearing the word master before his name, Terra felt completely happy inside. What he worked so hard for all these years finally came to pass. He was a Keyblade Master now. Nothing would ever get in his way again. '_Master Xehanort… he gave me the title of being a Keyblade Master…I can't let him down._' Terra thought bowing to his new master. Terra's allegiance to his friends and Eraqus was over.

* * *

**Damn you plot! Ugh I feel like they'll be stuck in Radiant Garden forever lol. Hopefully the next chapter they'll finally leave! Until then review :D **


	11. Intertwining Fates Part 4

**Since everyone is watching the Super Bowl, I decided to write the next chapter to the fic everyone. I just really wanted to get this chapter out of the way because I'm sick to death of plot x.x Seriously the trip to Radiant Garden didn't need to drag out this much! **

**I've added tidbits and scenes from the KHs novel! **

**To all the new followers of this fic, thanks for following and leave a review please! **

* * *

"_I believe a balance of light and darkness is what sustains our World, but too much of the darkness has been stamped out, disrupting that balance."_ – Xehanort Report VIII

Chapter 11: Intertwining Fates Part 4

Braig had retreated back to the castle. The moment Dilan and Aeleus saw their former comrade in pain they quickly rushed over and helped him.

"What happened to you?!" Aeleus asked in concern.

"It's none of your business….!" Braig groaned. "You two do-gooders better not squeal on me to the king or he'd have my head for sure."

"Let's have Even take a look at you." Dilan said as the two guardsmen helped Braig into the castle.

"…And that is how light is extracted from people's hearts." Even was in his lab lecturing Ienzo on what hearts were and how it was possible to take the light out of person's heart. The small boy just nodded his head in understanding, but remained mute. He turned his head towards the door as it was quickly opened. The small boy jumped out of his seat as he saw Dilan and Aeleus drag Braig into the lab.

Even glanced over quietly snickering as he saw the sorry state Braig was in. "Well it seems you've definitely out did yourself this time," He said. "Biting off more than you can chew, again?"

Braig scowled. "That punk just got a lucky shot in that's all!" He sneered. "Are you going to fix me or what?"

Even carelessly shrugged. "I suppose I should," He began. "Our king would hate to see one of his apprentices in such a mess."

The moment Braig took his hand off his eye where Terra had scarred him, the three apprentices of Ansem the Wise saw small puffs of darkness on the man's face.

"The darkness…" Even mused. "Where did it come from?"

"That punk from outside world, Terra or whatever the heck is name was," Braig began. "That no good brat scarred me!"

"Terra?" Even questioned. "Do you mean that young man who walked through the outer gardens?"

"He shouldn't be allowed there!" Aeleus said.

"That place is off limits." Dilan added.

"Relax, I took care of that punk." Braig replied in his usual calm manner.

While Even, Dilan, and Aeleus attended to Braig, Ienzo stared at the opened door. He was never permitted to leave the castle at all. He felt like now was his chance. To see what was outside these castle walls. The small boy quietly tip-toed out of the lab.

"Ienzo!" Even scolded. "Remember you're supposed to remain inside the castle, understand."

Ienzo turned towards Even and nodded his head before leaving the lab. This was his chance to see what his home world was like. He wouldn't go too far, just to the Town Square.

"You're not going to tell us where you've been all this time?" Dilan asked.

"Just making sure our world is safe from people from the outside world, that's all," Braig said as Even finished bandaging his face. "I've got the scars to prove it don't I?" He idly thanked his comrades and began walking out the door.

"Braig wait!" Aeleus protested.

"You can't leave in your condition!" Even told him.

Braig ignored the scientist and kept walking. '_That old coot's going to regret ever letting me get hurt!_' He thought and headed to the outer gardens to face Xehanort.

* * *

Ven searched for Terra throughout Radiant Garden. He wanted to find him so he could talk to him about things that were clouding his mind. He raced to the Town Square and saw a group of unruly Flood Unversed surrounding Ienzo.

"Hey! You better run!" Ven yelled running forward with his keyblade. The small boy took Ven's advice and backed away as Ven swung his keyblade at the tiny Unversed. Ienzo was so fixated upon the strange weapon he had just seen and its wielder who just saved his life.

Ienzo opened his mouth to thank Ven when he heard Even call for him.

"Ienzo, there you are!" Even said. "Didn't I warn you not to wander off?" He then turned towards Ven. "I see we owe you our thanks."

"It was no problem at all," Ven told him. He wondered if these two knew where Terra was. "Sir, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's a tall guy and he's kinda dressed like me, have you seen him?"

"Now that you mention it, I have," Even answered. "I saw someone wandering the outer gardens."

"Really!?" Ven asked eagerly. "Thanks!" He replied and ran off into the waterway towards the outer gardens.

Even watched Ven's retreating back. _'I have a feeling we'll run into each other again._' He thought and took Ienzo back to the castle.

* * *

Aqua and Levina had just arrived in the middle of the Town Square. They both sighed in dismay since they couldn't spot their friends anywhere.

"Maybe someone in town knows where they are." Levina suggested.

Aqua nodded. "Ok, I'll ask around, just be careful." She told her.

Levina nodded while roaming around the Town Square. '_I wonder where Ven ran off to…_' She thought sadly. '_I hope we're all still a team even after everything's that happened between us_.'

"We just keep running into each other, don't we?" A familiar voice broke Levina out of her thoughts.

Levina turned around and saw Vanitas behind her. "You again…!" She glared summoning her keyblade in her hand.

Vanitas smirked as he saw this pathetic attempt of bravery from the girl. "Do you think you have what it takes to fight me?" He taunted.

"No, but I do!" Aqua yelled running forward with her keyblade in hand.

"Aqua…!" Levina smiled.

Aqua looked at the masked boy in front of her. "A masked boy?" She thought out loud. "You're the boy that Ventus mentioned."

"Ventus…," Vanitas replied in disgust. "Tell me has he learned to put up a decent fight, yet? Or is he still crying over the fact that I beat him within in an inch of his life."

Aqua and Levina glared at the masked boy. Aqua then turned to Levina and said, "Go find Ven!" She told her. "I'll take care of him."

"Really?" Vanitas asked the smirk on his face growing bigger. "Guess your little friend there didn't tell you what I'm capable of and between the two of us, I'll be the only walking out of here alive!"

"Guess again!" Aqua yelled charging forward at the masked boy.

Vanitas repeated his battle movements when he first fought Ven. However, Aqua was able to keep up with the masked boy's movements and attack him with her keyblade.

'_She's so strong_!' Levina thought and smiled as she saw the female keyblade wielder holding her own against Vanitas. She admired Aqua greatly and if it wasn't for her constant motivation and training, she would've never learned how to wield a keyblade and fight in battle. She raced off towards the outer gardens to find Ven and hopefully Terra.

'_No wonder the Master wants her gone,_' Vanitas thought as he continued to fight Aqua. '_The light inside her is so powerful…_' He struggled with his thoughts as he saw Aqua swing her keyblade unleashing a brilliant beam of spirally light from her weapon sending the dark being flying and hitting the ground hard.

* * *

Ven raced down the waterway towards the outer gardens. His smile grew bigger as he saw Terra. Terra saw the young boy running towards him and looked away. '_What is he doing here?_' He thought.

"Terra!" Ven happily cried as he approached his friend. "Take me with you!"

"I can't do that Ven." Terra told him still reeling from his fight with Ven and his allegiance to Xehanort.

Hearing this Ven frowned lowering his head. "Why not?" He pouted.

"I just…," He paused for a few moments and thought, '_If he, Levina, or Aqua knew what I've done. They'd probably hate me_.' He then looked at the small boy. "Whenever I need you Ven, I know you'll be there."

Ven looked up at the other teen and smiled. "Of course I would, we're friends!" He beamed happily" Aqua and Levina are worried about you too, you should come back with me so that they know you're alright."

Terra sighed. "I can't Ven…" He told him. '_I need to find a way to quell the darkness that's inside my heart,_' He thought. '_I'd never want to hurt them, the way I did that man who tried to hurt Master Xehanort._'

Ven frowned. "I get it," He replied. "You don't want me to get hurt." He sighed. "I guess I better go find Levina." He said and then felt his heart fill with a small glimmer of light. He looked at Terra and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "It's weird… whenever I think about her, my heart feels happy."

"It does?" Terra questioned.

"Yeah," Ven answered looking up at the older boy. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

Terra hid a smile and laughed lightly. "No Ven," He replied. "It just means you like her."

"Of course I like her," Ven said in confusion. "She's my friend!"

"No," Terra tried to explain to the confused boy. "Levina's someone special to your heart. She's someone you can't live without."

"Oh...," Ven replied. "I definitely wouldn't want to lose her." The smaller boy looked up at Terra and asked, "Do you have someone special like that?" He asked curiously.

Hearing the question Terra hesitated to answer. '_Aqua_…' He thought. "There is someone…," He began. "But…," He lowered his head. "I've done so many horrible things, I don't think I'm worthy of her."

"What are you talking about?!" Ven asked flabbergasted. "You're a great guy!" He told him.

Terra smiled a little. "You're right. Thanks Ven." The older boy tapped his armor making his keyblade glider appear and departed from his world.

'_Levina's someone special to my heart…_' Ven thought. His heart felt warm and filled with a happy feeling as he thought this. He broke out from his thoughts as he heard someone call his name.

"Ven!" Levina waved happily as she ran over to him. "There you are!"

"Levina…," Ven smiled lightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you silly." Levina replied. "Did you find Terra?"

"Y-Yeah…," Ven stammered. "He just left."

"What!" Levina exclaimed. "Why?" She asked confused.

"I'm not so sure…," Ven answered. "Come on we better go tell Aqua." The two raced out of the outer gardens to inform their friend what had happened.

* * *

Aqua caught her breath as she finished her fight with Vanitas. She saw the masked boy on the ground, not moving an inch. '_Did I beat him?_' She thought as she crept closer.

Vanitas laid on the ground remember Xehanort's words from his training. He wouldn't allow this light filled keyblade wielder to defeat him. Anger boiled inside the emptiness of his heart. He needed to hate everything and everyone to become stronger. He slowly balled his fists remember the days of training under his master.

_Xehanort was watching Vanitas from above the Badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard, his keyblade in hand._

"_Yes, keep on suffering," Xehanort told the infant being of darkness. "Savor the pain… Only this way you can become even stronger."_

_Vanitas got back up from the floor, groaning. As soon as he tried to draw closer again, he took a strike under the chin and was thrown through the air. Once more, he hit the ground. Whenever Xehanort returned to this place when he was visiting the battlefield of this ancient war, he would train this being of darkness released from Ven's heart. Train to hate everything and everyone._

_Vanitas' loneliness fed his hatred and made him stronger. That's why Xehanort was now usually leaving him behind here, by his himself and alone. However, that alone wasn't enough. No matter how out of breath Vanitas was or how heavily he cried, all he could do was to endure it with gnashing teeth and keep fighting. This didn't mean that he was truly able to simply swallow down all the grief within his dark heart. But showing would have been a weakness. So he just produced Unversed. They could feel it out for him. Vanitas had to grow strong, very strong. That was all he was meant to do. And he also needed his loneliness and hatred. _

"_Yes, Vanitas…" Xehanort said to the quivering masked boy before him. "Hate them. The people, the world, everything."_

Vanitas broke from his heavy thoughts as he felt Aqua touch his mask.

"Who are you?!" Aqua demanded to know.

Hearing this stupid question from the female keyblade wielder who had bested him in battle, Vanitas let out a psychotic fit of laughter causing Aqua to back away summoning her keyblade again.

"You've put up a better fight than Ventus," Vanitas said to her as he got up. "Looks like I'll have to keep you around." He said before disappearing into a dark corridor.

Aqua sighed as she saw him leave. '_I have to stop him_,' she thought. '_Before anything else happens to Terra, Ven and Levina._'

"Aqua!" Ven called out to her.

Aqua turned around seeing Ven and Levina rushing over to her.

"Ven found Terra!" Levina said to her.

"You did?" Aqua asked the boy.

"Yeah," Ven answered and then frowned. "But… he left."

Aqua frowned hearing this. '_Terra, what's happened to you?_' she thought. _'Did the darkness really consume your heart?_'' She then looked at the two younger teens in front of her. "Ven, I want you and Levina to go home."

"What?!" Levina asked. "But why?"

"First Terra doesn't want me involved and now you're telling us to go home?" Ven pouted. "We want to help too."

"We don't want to put you two in harm's way." She told them tapping the armor on her shoulder and making her keyblade glider appear. Ven and Levina frowned as they watched Aqua leave from this world too.

"So now what do we do?" Levina asked Ven.

"One thing's for sure I'm not leaving them." Ven said making his wooden keyblade appear from his hand.

Levina smiled seeing the wooden keyblade. "You still have that thing?" She asked.

"Yup!" Ven smiled and thought, '_But back then I was a completely different person. I barely said a word. If it wasn't for Terra, Aqua, Levina, and Master Eraqus, I would probably be stuck that way.' _

* * *

_Ventus was once more absentmindedly sitting in the great hall, watching Terra and Aqua train. Levina was sitting beside him since she wasn't allowed to train either. _

"_Stronger! You cannot wield a keyblade like this!" Master Eraqus called at them, and both, Terra and Aqua began to storm towards their Master. Both of them were fighting frantically, at their utmost power, but they were no match for Master Eraqus._

_Barely having gotten back on her feet, Aqua charged for the Master again, but her wooden keyblade was knocked out of her hands. It tumbled right to Ventus' feet. To this point, Ventus had only been sitting there idly, but now he stood up from his chair and picked up the weapon. That was the first time Ventus had done anything out of his own intentions, without anybody urging him to do so._

"…_Ventus?" Levina said to new stranger she had just met moments ago. _

_Ventus gazed at the wooden sword for a while, as if he was wondering something, then he took it into his right hand, backhanded, just like back when he had lost consciousness trying to spar. Both the Master and Terra stopped fighting, only looking at what Ventus was doing._

_And for the first time, Ventus swung the wooden sword, which was much too big for him._

"_Do you want to try, Ventus?" Master Eraqus asked. And barely had Ventus heard this, he kicked off the soil. Eraqus easily parried Ventus' first strike. But now that Ventus had started, he was barely able to stop. He didn't know why, but somehow, he knew exactly how to handle the weirdly-shaped weapon. It was easy._

"_Good. And now try it again. You have a very good technique." Eraqus instructed. _

_Hearing the Master's words, Ventus charged again. Rhythmically, the wooden sword kept clashing with Eraqus' keyblade, until finally the boy was knocked away and sent flying._

"_Are you alright, Ventus?" The Master held his hand out to Ventus to help him up. Ventus nodded a bit._

"_Well then. If that is so, you will be training with the others starting tomorrow."_

_Eraqus gently stroked Ventus' head. Even though Ventus' facial expression was still unchanged and empty, making it seem like he was not feeling a single thing despite everything, Levina, Terra and Aqua came run over and they were gleeful._

_Surrounded by the two others, just fixed his eyes on the wooden sword and gazed onto it motionlessly._

"_Good, this should suffice for today. We will continue the training tomorrow." Eraqus declared and it was obvious that he was in the best of moods._

"_How about we go eat something then?" Aqua asked with a big smile on her face._

"_What did you prepare for us today, Aqua?" Eraqus asked, stroking his mustache._

"_I made my dancing lemon cake! There's not that much sugar in there, so I guess Terra will be pleased too."_

_As the two were talking, Ventus was staring off into the distance, the wooden keyblade still tightly enclosed in his fist. And then, even if just for a moment, he looked at Levina, Terra. And Terra could have sworn that Ventus seemed worried._

_In the dusk, Terra was on the mountain alone, handling a knife. He was carving the handle of a keyblade, modeled after what he had always wanted his own keyblade to look like one day out of wood. Terra had done this before, so his carving was skilled and he made quick progress._

"_Terra!" Aqua was coming run up the mountain road, followed by Ventus. Levina trailed behind them desperately trying to keep a fireball in the air. Her father would not allow her to wield a keyblade, but she was learning basic magic spells from Aqua. _

"_What are you doing up here? Tuning your sword again?" Aqua asked. _

"_You know it," Terra nodded and pointed his beloved weapon at the evening sun, looking at it._

"_Terra made his sword all by himself, you know," Aqua told Ventus, while putting her hand on his shoulder. Ventus just curiously eyed Terra's handwork. Just like Aqua was a very talented baker, Terra could make almost everything he wanted to with a knife and some wood._

"…_Alright, that should do it." Terra said proudly. _

_Yes, this was fine… It fit very well in his hand. Maybe a bit more fine-adjusting would be needed, but before long, he should be able to get it just the way he wanted to._

"_Are you done?"_

"_Yeah, for today at least," Terra replied, putting away the wooden keyblade. Aqua made Ventus sit down next to Terra, then placed herself between the two of them and sat down herself._

_The evening sun was shining upon the three of them. Ventus wasn't watching the sunset, but rather he just emptily stared at his hands. Or maybe, he wasn't looking at anything in particular at all. Just staring._

"_So, did you already get used to the Master's training yet, Ventos—eh, I mean Ventsu… Vensu… Oh, whatever! Ven!"_

_When Terra just cut Ventus' name in half like this to avoid twisting his tongue, Aqua burst into laughter._

"_Don't laugh!" Terra complained and let his head hang in shame, as he endured Aqua's laughing. She shook Terra's shoulder._

"_Hey…Well, It's not that hard to pronounce you know. Were you even trying?" Aqua teased. _

_Seeming very embarrassed, Terra responded with a groan._

_Ventus didn't really understand what was going on. So he looked at Aqua._

"_Seriously, what's so funny about it?" Terra sounded aggravated._

_Aqua still couldn't stop her own laughter, so Terra called her back to reality by giving her an angry look, "…Stop it already!"_

_It had just been too amusing for her and only now, Aqua finally stopped laughing, wiping off her tears._

"_Hm, OK, OK. Maybe "Ventus" is a bit hard to say in the long run."_

_Aqua looked at Ventus and their eyes met. When this happened, he shrunk away a bit and let his head hang like he, too was now ashamed. Terra seemed to sympathize with him now, and spoke,_

"_Right? Also, 'Ven' sounds a lot better anyway. Rolls right off the tongue and suits you!"_

"'_Ven'… Hm, yes, I guess we could call him that," Aqua replied and Terra put a hand on Ven's shoulder._

"_So, what do you think, Ven?" Terra asked. _

_Ventus… Ven heard what Terra said and nodded a bit._

"_Great. Then you'll be 'Ven' from now on!" Aqua said and put a hand on Ven's lap._

"_Aqua, like this!" Levina cried out as she kept the fireball in the air which then disappeared in mid-air. _

_Aqua smiled nodding to the small girl. "You'll get the hang of most spells soon, Levina."_

* * *

_The next day, while Terra and Aqua were sparring aside from them, Master Eraqus went through the basics of Keyblade Wielding with Ventus._

"_Exactly, this is how you block incoming attacks. The best offense is useless without a solid defense," Eraqus said, while correcting Ventus' stance a bit. Ven obediently nodded at the Master's words. He still wasn't talking a lot, but yet he was notably different from the way he had been when he had first come here._

_Terra sent Ven flying with a well-aimed strike of his wooden Keyblade._

"_Giving up already? C'mon, Ven. I thought you were stronger than that," Terra stated with a grin, a little out of breath himself._

"_Ven, you almost had him! Just try it again!"_

"_Hey wait, you're teaming up now?" Terra complained with an exaggerated move of his hand, as he watched Ven get up from the floor again._

"_Once more, go!" Terra told him. _

_Terra took a strike from Ven. While the boy still wasn't talking much, he was nothing like he had been before anymore. And again, Terra sent him flying._

"_OK, OK. Let's take a break!" Terra said to the smaller boy. _

_Terra was just lending Ven a hand to help him get up when he heard Aqua say that._

"_So, what are we eating today? More cake? I don't see your basket around…"_

"_I didn't bring any today. We're eating with the Master later, so I already prepared everything in the dining hall. I made milky way-caramel pound-cake. You like that one, don't you, Terra?"_

_While Terra and Aqua were talking, they sat down on the edge of the cliff on the mountain summit. A bit delayed, Ven too joined them and placed himself between the two. He clung to the wooden sword in his hands, like it was his treasure._

"_Ven. You see all those dents and nicks you got?" Terra finally asked, pointing at Ven's sword._

"_Each one of those is proof you're learning," Aqua added._

_Ventus let his head hang a bit, but didn't give any other response._

"_You're trying too hard to move your body. You need to learn to let your body move you. Right?"_

_Saying this, Terra held up his own sword. It was the same wooden Keyblade he had been working on so diligently. Finally, he had finished and perfected it. Now, he had carved his name into the handle. Terra stood up and cleared his throat._

"_Ehem! In your hand, take this blade. And so long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be made!"_

_And then he stretched out the wooden Keyblade to the sky._

"_Heh, what's that about? Who went and made you Master?" Aqua asked amused._

"_Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about!"_

"_Well, you're not the only one." Aqua said and then turned seeing Levina walk over to them._

"_Yeah!" Levina jumped in between the three of them. "We're all going to Keyblade Masters one day!" _

"_I know." Terra kneeled down before Ven all of a sudden. Then, he handed over the wooden Keyblade to him._

"_The four of us share the same dream."_

_Ven stretched out his hand, to take the Keyblade. He grasped it tightly. And then, for the very first time, Terra thought to have heard Ven laugh a bit. And that made him happy._

"_Here. It's yours, Ven."_

_And with this, Terra made the keyblade he had actually lovingly made for himself into a gift for Ven. Terra had worked long to make it fit perfectly for himself for all intents and purposes, but now it was much too large for Ven. Even though Terra had tuned it so long, just to make it ideal._

_Witnessing this, Aqua raised her voice. "But Terra, why're you doing that?"_

"_So Ven won't forget we did this. Somehow, I have to get it in his head, right? I can make a new one, no big deal. But if giving this one to Ven is a way to make him smile… Then that's way better than keeping it for myself."_

_Levina hid a small smile as she saw the boy smile. "Aw! He's smiling!" She cooed. _

"_You heard that, Ven? Levina likes it when you smile," Aqua told the younger boy, smiling herself._

"…_Thank you." He said to them. _

_Having not expected to hear this, Levina, Terra and Aqua looked at each other in surprise. It was Ven who said that. It couldn't have been anyone else. This was his voice._

_This was the first time Ventus had actually spoken.  
_

* * *

Ven smiled remembering that moment. It was a moment which he would never forget. The boy lazily tossed the wooden keyblade around, swinging it in his hand, when the keyblade fell out of his hand and to the ground.

Someone almost stepped on it as they passed by. "Hey this yours?" It belonged to the voice of a boy. Probably a year or two older than Ven. He picked up the wooden keyblade and swung it around a bit.

"Lea, we don't have time for this." The boy next to the one named Lea said.

"Lighten up Isa," Lea said to his longtime friend. "This'll only take a second." He walked over to Ven and Levina twirling the wooden keyblade in his hand. "You still play with toy swords?" He asked.

Ven lightly grumbled underneath his breath.

"That belongs to a friend of yours!" Levina said to him. "Give it back!"

"That's cute," Lea said to Ven. "You've got a little girlfriend by your side."

"G-Girlfriend!?" Levina blushed hearing Lea obnoxiously tease them.

Lea smiled dropping the wooden keyblade. "Now this right here," Lea took out homemade chakrams from his pocket. "Ta-Da! What do you think?"

"Not a whole lot…" Ven told him.

"You're just jealous," Lea said to him. "I'm Lea, got it memorized? What's your name?"

"Ventus…" Ven said idly.

"Ok Ventus, let's fight!" Lea said to the small boy.

"Fight?" Ven asked confused. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Don't you want to impress your lady friend over there?" Lea asked cheekily winking causing Levina to blush more.

Ven thought about that for a moment.

"Or are you just scared of losing!" Lea taunted in a friendly tone.

Hearing this Ven got up from the ground.

"Ven!" Levina called out to him.

"Don't worry Levina," Ven said to her. "I'll be ok!"

"Yeah, now we're talkin'!" Lea replied eagerly ready to fight.

"You're gonna be sorry!" Ven said and the two new friends charged at each other. With one swing of his keyblade, Ven sent Lea crashing to the ground with a thud.

Lea didn't seem to mind. He was having too much fun. "You had eough?" He asked catching his breath. "Cause I'm willing to call it a draw if you are!"

"From where I stood the only thing you 'drew' was a big L on your forehead for loser, lame, laughable." Isa said honestly as he walked up to his friend.

"What?! Lea asked in outrage. "Isn't this the part where you cheer me up or something," He told his friend. "Like how about saying, 'You're just having a bad day' or 'That's what you get for pulling your punches.' Stuff like that." He then looked at Ven and Levina. "You see what I got to put up with?"

"You mean I was supposed to lie?" Isa asked.

Ven nodded as Levina walked over to him. "How was I?"

Levina smiled lightly. "You did great!"

Lea looked at his two new friends. "Hope you don't have friends like him!"

The two teen smiled and burst into laughter hearing that.

"Lea, we should get going." Isa told him.

"Right." Lea replied as he got up from the ground.

"Already?" Ven asked.

Lea turned towards them waving idly. "I'll see ya when I see ya," He said to them. "After all we're friends now."

Ven and Levina smiled.

"Get it memorized?" Lea told them.

"Ok, Lea." Ven said happily. He then turned to Levina. "Come on let's go."

Levina nodded as Ven made his keyblade glider appear. "Do you think we'll meet up with Terra and Aqua again?"

"I sure hope so." Ven answered and they left the world of Radiant Garden.

Lea smiled at them walking over to Isa who was patiently waiting.

"What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?" Isa asked wearily.

"I want everybody I meet to remember me," Lea answered proudly. "Inside people's memories I can live forever."

Isa rolled his eyes. "I know I won't forget you," He teased. "Believe me I've tried all the time."

"See!" Lea told him. "I'm immortal!"

"You're obnoxious…," Isa replied. "What's more important a real friendship or a make believe one?"

"Ok, fine,"Lea sighed. "You win this round.

"I always do." Isa said.

The two boys stared at the castle in the distance. They wanted to be a part of something grand and getting into the castle was their only way.

"Ready?" Isa asked his friend.

"Yeah, let's go." Lea replied.

* * *

"C'mon Goofy! You have to try harder!" Donald complained to his friend's training methods. They were both training Lira. She had already mastered a few of the minor spells used in battle thanks to Donald's teaching methods. Her sword play on the other hand was lacking because of Goofy's teaching methods.

"Gawrsh Donald, it's not right to hurt people!" Goofy protested.

Donald held his wing up and slapped his forehead. "We have to teach her how to fight!" He yelled annoyed. "Not be nice to the enemy!"

Lira sighed. '_At this rate I'm never going to get the training I need_.' She thought and looked at the two. "Isn't there someone who could teach me how to fight?"

"Well…," Goofy began.

"Goofy! No!" Donald scolded.

"But Donald, he might be the only one who help Lira." Goofy told the agitated duck.

Donald looked at Goofy and realized his friend was right. He then looked at Lira. "We can take you to Phil."

"Phil?" Lira asked.

"He's responsible for trainin' all the heroes of light!" Goofy told her.

"Great!" Lira beamed happily. "Can we leave now?"

"And miss the festival?" Minnie walked into the room. "How's the training going boys?"

"Everything's A-Ok, your highness!" Goofy saluted.

"Well that's good," Minnie said to them. "Why don't you drop by the festival."

Lira looked at Donald who was much more eager to get Lira's training in order. "Can we, Donald?" She pleaded. "Please?"

"C'mon Donald, it'll be fun!" Goofy said. "I'll bet Daisy would want to see you!"

That was all Donald needed. "Alright, let's go!" He dashed out of the room down the hall.

Lira and Goofy quietly followed behind the eager duck smiling.

Pete was in his secret rec room near the festival. "I'll show those goody two shoes who the real hero is!" He declared taking out some odd costume from his trunk. "Those royal rats think they can have a festival without me!" He shouted to himself putting on the costume. "I'll show 'em!" He said. "I'll show 'em all! No one will get passed Captain Dark!" He said striking an idiotic and dramatic pose.

* * *

Xehanort stood in the Purification Facility. His plan was going well. He had easily deluded Terra to his side. Now all he had to make sure that no one else would get in his way.

"Hey! Braig shouted at Xehanort firing his arrows at the old man. "You old coot!"

Xehanort remained standing where he was not being threatened in the least.

"You said I wouldn't get hurt!" Braig yelled furiously causing Xehanort to turn around. "I didn't sign up to be collateral damage!" He continued firing his weapon and bringing his arrow gun to Xehanort's face. "No way!"

Xehanort calmly made his keyblade appear, manifesting it from the darkness. He easily managed to point his mighty weapon at Braig's neck without uttering a sound.

Seeing this, Braig staggered back and lowered his weapons. "Ok…ok!" He stammered. "J-Just put that down! You still need me, you still need me to do something, right?" He pleaded. "All I'm asking is for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

Xehanort made his keyblade disappear.

"What's a little scratch on my face?" Braig asked himself out loud. "All things considered. I'm just lucky you didn't steal my heart like Terra did to Princess whatever-her-name was."

"That is unlikely," Xehanort said. "A powerful light still shines inside Terra's heart," He explained. "You see people like him don't have the power to steal hearts."

"Wait, so you mean he's not the one who stole her heart?" Braig asked in surprise.

To this Xehanort merely laughed. "A dark fairy known by the name of Maleficent is the one who stole the young maiden's light," He answered. "A heart devoid of darkness, a light which shines so bright. There are others like her, six more maidens with the same pure light. Their hearts unlock the door to the source of all worlds, the essence of all worlds known as Kingdom Hearts."

* * *

**Finally the trip to Radiant Garden is over! I am taking a break from the plot, because well I deserve it lol. I'm gonna start working on the romantic development of the characters in Disney Town :D **


	12. The Million Dreams Festival

**:D Finally got this chapter up! Sorry for the long wait everyone! I had to deal with life situations and my internship is killing me D: I haven't had time to write at all because of that D: But I was finally able to write this awesome chapter down and finish it these passed couple of days :D Enjoy the shippy-ness of this chapter! **

* * *

"_Kingdom Hearts could be described as an aggregate of hearts. Worlds, too, have hearts, just like people; each world's heart is concealed from sight, beyond a hidden door. By gathering all the hearts of all the worlds in a single place, one may complete Kingdom Hearts." Xehanort Report III_

Chapter 12 - The Million Dreams Festival

Terra simply wanted to get away from Radiant Garden as quickly as possible. He didn't want to be reminded of what he had done. Injuring someone by using the means of darkness even if they were trying to cause harm to his Master. A small sigh escaped his lips as he traveled the Lanes Between. A glimmer of light caught his eye as he saw a white and blue castle in the distance. The small town that the castle was hovering over had mouse ears plastered almost everywhere. It seemed as though this world was having a celebration of some kind. Terra reached into his pocket taking out the Disney Town pass that Ven had given to him earlier. '_Guess it couldn't hurt to visit this world.'_ Terra thought maneuvering his keyblade glider to the world in front of him.

* * *

"One more set of spells Lira!" Donald commanded the tiny girl.

"But I'm tired!" Lira whined as she summoned ice from her staff which then fizzled in the air. "Can't we go to the festival now?"

"Gawrsh Donald…," Goofy began as she saw Lira flop to the floor. "She's been trainin' for hours. She needs a break."

Donald squawked in disagreement flailing his wing at the knight in front of him. "She needs to perfect her magical skills, since you haven't been training her properly!"

Goofy pouted. "I've been tryin' my best." The large dog replied walking over to Lira and helping her up.

Lira's tiny body was indeed exhausted. She felt like she was about to pass out. Donald saw this and realized that she wasn't joking. "W-Well…," The angry duck stammered. "We can take a break." He walked over patting Lira's shoulder. "The king wouldn't want to see his chosen warrior to help fight the darkness pass out."

Lira's blue eyes shined with happiness. "Alright!" She chimed. "I knew that would work!"

Goofy held his hand up to his hands up to his mouth hiding a laugh. "A'hyuck! He fell for it real good, Lira!"

Realizing that Donald had been played for a fool, the angry duck's face turned from white to red. He stomped his webbed foot. "We aren't going anywhere until you've mastered all of your spells!"

Lira giggled running off with Goofy out the door down the hall.

"Sorry about that Donald!" Goofy yelled back at his friend as Lira happily took his hand.

"Hey!" Donald shouted angrily. "Goofy! Lira! Wait for me!" He trailed after the two tripping over a book that must've fallen off the shelves while Lira was training. "Stupid book!" The duck waved his staff casting fire on the book.

The book however was suddenly plucked out of harm's way.

"Donald!" Lira yelled at the duck. "You should never burn a book!" She scolded waving the book at his beak.

Goofy helped his friend up. "Gawrsh Donald did you honestly think we'd leave without you?"

Donald grumbled a yes under his breath as Lira looked at the book in her hands.

"What's a Summon?" The small girl asked curiously.

Donald and Goofy both stared down at the dusty red book.

"Summons are ancient creatures that people used as weapons to fight in battle." Goofy told her.

Donald nodded. "They're dangerous and vicious creatures," The duck added. "I wouldn't want to go near them at all."

Lira curiously continued to turn the pages of the book and her curiosity grew. She saw various images of a dark dragon, a maiden cloaked in ice, a muscular winged bull-like encased in fire, a knight on a horse, and a wise sage wielding an ancient staff '_I'll bet these Summons will help us out against the darkness.'_ Lira thought and another thought struck her mind. '_They all look absolutely hideous! But if they could help us fight…_' She looked at Donald and Goofy. "Where can we find one?"

"Absolutely not!" Donald yelled jumping in the air.

"They live in hidden magical caves scattered across the worlds, Lira," Goofy explained. "There's no way we could find them all."

Lira lowered her eyes. "It couldn't hurt to try."

Goofy smiled at the tiny girl's determination. "Gawrsh we need to focus on your trainin', Lira." He said to her. "After the festival of course, A'hyuck!"

"Come on let's go!" Donald eagerly said.

Lira put the book on the table and raced out the door with Donald and Goofy following her. The three friends stumbled into Pete who was making his grand exit out of the castle as well.

"Hey!" Pete yelled shaking his fist in the air. "Watch where you're goin'!" He shouted at them. "Lousy good for nothin' do-gooders!" He straightened his cape. "I'll show 'em that you can't mess with Captain Dark!" He said while making a dramatic exit out of the castle.

* * *

Terra had arrived into Disney Town showing his pass at the front ticket. He wandered onto the course of a race track. '_There doesn't seem to be any kind of disturbance in this world_,' He thought when something speeding towards him caught his eye. It was Unversed riding on go-carts. They were throwing bombs and swiping at their other racing opponents with their claws with the intent of causing injury and possibly killed the other racers.

"Unversed!" Terra grumbled under his breath and tried to catch the little minions of darkness, but the Unversed were too fast for him. "You want to play that way?" Terra boasted. "Fine!" He declared raising his right hand to touch the armor on his keyblade armor to make his glider appear. "I'll take you on!"

"Look out!" Queen Minnie's voice shouted from behind Terra.

Terra turned around diving out of the way as Pete's go-cart almost ran him over. He got up and walked over to them. Pluto was by Queen Minnie's side happily panting. The curious dog walked over to the new visitor and started sniffing him.

"H-Hey!" Terra protested to the friendly dog. "Cut it out! Stop sniffing me!"

In return to Terra's outburst, Pluto just tilted his head to the side and casually walked back over to Minnie.

"What are you nuts, running out onto the course like that!" Chip told Terra.

"Yeah, especially with those monsters on the loose!" Dale added.

"Thanks for the help back there," Terra replied. "The name's Terra."

Minnie smiled gently at the youth in front of her. "It's very nice to meet you, Terra."

"Running onto the course is against the rules!" Dale said hopping up and down angrily.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Minnie replied calming the tiny chipmunk down. "But I can't say I approve either."

"Well, rules don't apply when you're going up against the Unversed." Terra said in defense.

Hearing this, the two chipmunks became even more outraged. "Rules don't apply?!" Chip yelled flabbergasted. "You sound just like Pete!"

"Look over there!" Dale squeaked out as he saw Pete gallantly walking towards them. "It's Captain Dark!"

"Disguised in shadows, the rouge racer reigns!" Pete declared leaping off of a tiny road hill making it look obscenely dramatic. "I am…Captain Dark!" He finished striking a fabulous pose.

Terra could only roll his eyes at Pete's idiotic attempts to look important.

"You must be the chump who made me miss a new track record." Pete said looking at Terra. He looked closely at the boy. "Hey how comes I don't know you?" He wondered. "You new in town?" He asked. "No newbie's gonna out race me. You must be pretty brave to try n' stop a primo racer like me from gettin' the record."

"But I'm not even a racer…" Terra replied getting lightly annoyed by Pete's antics.

"We all gotta play by the rules in this town rookie!" Pete said and turned away going back to his black and purple go-kart.

"Just a second, Pete!" Chip yelled. "You're the no-good cheater who's always breakin' the rules!"

Terra looked down at the small chipmunks. "I can't say that racing interests me, but I need to defeat the Unversed," He told them. "Tell me what I've gotta do."

"Are you talking about all those karts that look like scary, ugly monsters?" Dale asked.

Terra nodded.

The two chipmunks pondered at this for a while.

"Well, we've only ever seen those monsters on the track…" Minnie told them.

"That's it!" Dale said happily. "Terra you just need to enter the races!"

"While you're taking out those monsters, could you take Captain Dark down a peg or two?" Chip asked. "He's always breakin' the rules and causing trouble!"

Terra looked over at Pete or Captain Dark as he was called. He was setting up traps for the other racers. Pointy tacks on the road and sticky glue. He even had a rocket strapped onto the back of his go-kart for more speed.

"I'll do my best." Terra said to them.

Chip and Dale signed Terra up for the next race. With his keyblade in one hand, Terra tapped his armor making his keyblade glider appear.

"That's a fancy lookin' go-kart ya got there." Pete said staring at Terra's keyblade glider as he made his way across the starting point. "But I'll bet it's not as fast as mine!"

Terra said nothing, his mind was too focused on the Unversed that were surrounding the track.

"Ready! Go!" Minnie yelled waving a checkered flag for them to start.

The Unversed were the first to leave the starting point of the race.

Terra raced after them on his keyblade glider and swung his keyblade at the Unversed go-karts making them crash into one another. Seeing the incredible power that the keyblade possessed Pete went wide-eyed.

"I've gotta get me one of those!" Pete said to himself. "Not even that little king will stand a chance against me if I had that awesome key-shaped sword."

Terra continued to race through the course defeating the Unversed that were in his way. He was close to reaching the finish line.

"Terra's gonna win!" Chip said happily.

"Yeah, go Terra!" Dale cheered.

Pete angrily glared. "Oh yeah! Not if I have anything to say about it!" With a wave of his hand, Pete was able to conjure a small tornado in the middle of the race course.

Terra swerved his keyblade glider out of the way almost crashing his glider into the fence, but he leapt off his glider in time. A small glint of anger hindered inside Terra's heart making the darkness that he was so subjected to become stronger. He shook the feeling off for a moment and tried a different tactic. _'Ok Captain "Dark", let's see how you'll be able to handle some light!_' Terra thought while in midair aiming his keyblade at Pete's go-kart. A beam of light shot through Terra's keyblade into Pete's go-kart.

"H-Hey! What the?!" Pete exclaimed as his go-kart had no control. The large go-kart swerved around in circles for a while before crashing right into the tornado he had created. Pete and his go-kart came crashing down on to the track.

"That should teach him to behave." Terra said as he landed on his keyblade glider crossing the finish line and winning the race.

"Alright! Terra won the race!" Dale cheered in delight.

Pete got up off the ground examining his go-kart. "My kart must've sprung a spring or something!" He said looking at his smoking go-kart. "Lousy piece of junk!" He yelled and then kicked it with his large foot. Pete hollered in pain clutching onto his foot. He looked towards Terra and the others. "You yahoos wait, next time I'll clobber all of you!" He told them and got into his smoking go-kart riding away to plot more devious plans.

"Yippie!" Chip said as Pete left. "No one's going to vote for a weasel like you, Pete!"

"Vote? What are you talking about?" Terra asked.

"Chip means the Million Dreams Award," Minnie explained. "It's a very popular part of our Dream Festival. Everyone in town votes for who we think is the most to do good deeds."

"And since everyone knows that Pete is a trouble maker," Dale said. "He probably figured wearin' a disguise was the only way he'd get any votes."

"No votes, no prize." Chip added.

"Yeah, the prize is all he really wants anyway," Dale said. "He doesn't care about being a good citizen."

"The award is supposed to help us appreciate how much we all look out for each other every day." Minnie told them.

"Well, one thing's for sure, I'm votin' for Terra!" Chip declared happily. "Your racing really saved the day against those monster karts!"

Terra smiled. "It was pretty fun being in a race." He told them. '_When was the last time I felt this happy inside_?' He thought to himself. '_Maybe I don't need to harbor all the darkness that's in my heart, I shouldn't let the darkness burden me all the time, and if it did I'd be missing out on a lot of fun things, like today_.' He looked at the tiny chipmunks. "Do you think I can practice on the race course some more?"

"Sure!" Chip said eagerly.

"The race track is all yours!" Dale told him.

* * *

Lira, Donald, and Goofy walked into town. Lira smiled at all the colorful balloons and streamers aligned everywhere in the Town Plaza.

"Look out!" Donald called out to his friends as he pointed his wing towards Pete who was headed their way in his beat up go-kart.

Goofy immediately pulled Lira to him and stepping to the side as Pete's go-kart went swerving down the road.

"Pete, watch we're you're going!" Donald yelled.

"You could've hurt someone!" Goofy added.

Pete ignored the two and continued driving to his hide out. "I'll show 'em," He declared. "If I have to play by the rules to get first prize I'll do just that." He dawned a new costume and called himself Captain Justice."

"Who is that?" Lira asked curiously. "He's got some nerve trying to run us over!"

"That's Pete," Donald told her. "He's always causing all kinds of trouble."

"That's why the king didn't want him interferein' at the festival," Goofy said. "He always makes trouble anywhere he goes."

"But your king isn't here." Lira told them.

Goofy and Donald lowered their heads. King Mickey had been gone for a long time. They hoped for the best that he was still in one piece while fighting the darkness on his own.

"Why won't it work?" A voice in the town plaza pondered.

"We tried everything and it still won't work." Another voice said sadly.

"We've just gotta get this working for the festival!" A third voice added.

Donald instantly recognized the three voices which belonged to his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The three of them were busy trying to get their invention which looked like a giant ice cream cone, but had instruments sticking out on the side and a piano synthesizer on top of the gone.

"What's the problem boys?" Donald asked as he walked over to them.

"Uncle Donald!" Huey chimed happily.

"We can't get our ice cream maker to work." Dewey explained.

"Yeah, we need it for the festival, it makes all kinds of different ice cream flavors." Louie told his uncle.

"Aw," Lira frowned. "That's too bad, I love ice cream!" She smiled at the three small ducks sweetly.

Huey, Louie, and Dewey looked at Lira. Their white faces turned pink as they looked at her.

"Wh-Whose she Uncle Donald?" Dewey asked.

"This is Lira," Goofy told them. "A'hyuck! She's the king's chosen warrior to help in the fight against the darkness!"

"Hudde!" Huey commanded his brothers. The three ducklings huddled together.

"Now we've gotta get our machine fixed." Huey told them eagerly.

"Yeah, she seems really nice," Louie added. "Do you think she'll help us go on an adventure?"

Dewey looked back at Lira adorably smiling at her. His brothers instantly pushed him back into the huddle. "But how do we get our machine fixed?" He asked.

As Huey, Dewey, and Louie tried to get their machine fixed to impress Lira, Ven and Levina had arrived at the Town Plaza.

"Wow, look at this place!" Levina happily chimed.

"Yeah everything's so colorful here." Ven added. "I wonder why?"

Out of nowhere Pete appeared in front of them causing the two newcomers to jump back.

"Ta-da!" Pete happily showed off his new costume. Instead of being dark and grim, his costume was light and colorful with a C and J as his belt buckle. "Wearing the mask of peace and hope..," He twirled and turned around to face Ven and Levina. "Comes the hero and defender of this town… It is I, Captain Justice!" He said with pride strike another ridiculous pose.

Ven and Levina stared at Pete completely dumb founded.

"My hero senses are tinglin," Pete said as he walked over to them. "I detect that you got troubles. Just say the word and Captain Justice will make 'em all disappear!"

"No… we aren't in any kind of trouble," Levina said to him. "Just curious."

"Don't be intimidated by ol' Captain J, little missy," Pete said to her. "Just tell me what's troublin' you and then don't forget to vote."

"Vote?" Levina tilted her head confused.

"Don'tcha worry about that," Pete told her. "Now what seems to be the problem?"

"About the town," Ven told him. "Why is everything so festive around here?"

"Huh, that's all you wanna know?" Pete asked them and shrugged it off. "The festivities are on account of the Dream Festival – which is why I made sure there's carnival stuff all over town."

Levina rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that." She whispered to Ven causing the boy to laugh lightly.

"Well thanks for the information…uh Captain Justice," Ven said to him. "I guess we'll remember to vote for you." He said to the masked 'hero' and walked off with Levina.

"There's no way I'm voting for that guy," Levina said to him as they walked around the Town Plaza. "That guy lied to us."

"I know, but I was just trying to be friendly." Ven replied.

"It's still not working." Huey pouted as Donald tried to help his nephews in their ice cream maker machine fiasco.

"Gawrsh, I hope it's not broken for good fellas." Goofy said to them.

"Keep trying." Lira reassured them.

"Please you must try." Minnie walked over to them with Pluto.

Pluto instantly wagged his tail at Lira happily smiling at her.

"Aww," Lira cooed. "He's so cute!" She said hugging the happy dog.

"Pluto!" Donald gently scolded. "Leave the king's chosen warrior alone."

"Donald quit being such a sour pus," Lira told her trainer. "He's not bothering me at all."

"Aww we just have to fix it!" Dewey sulked.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Pete ran over to them.

"Nothing you'll be able to fix, Pete!" Louie yelled at him.

Ven and Levina walked over to the ducklings. "Hey is everything alright?" Ven asked them.

Pete looked at them. "I'm afraid you're too late," He told them. "I'm gonna be fixing their problem. Huey Dewey, and Louie."

The three ducklings looked at Ven and Levina as did Donald, Goofy, and Lira. Lira smiled at the two of them realizing that they weren't from this world just like her.

'_Wonder where these two came from?'_ Lira thought. She broke out from her thoughts as she heard Dewey speak to them.

"All we were tryin' to do was make our own special ice cream recipe." The red sweater duck explained.

"We just had a little bit of trouble." Louie said to them.

"It's not really that big of a deal." Huey added.

"I'm 100% certain that you three fellas are victims of sabatoge!" Pete cried out walking over to the machine. "I'll have this machine fixed up in a jiffy." He walked over to ice cream maker machine and shook it.

"Pete!" Huey yelled.

"Stop that!" Donald ordered.

"You'll just make a mess of things!" Goofy said making his shield materialize from thin air. Donald followed Goofy's lead making his staff appear. Lira took out her sword and shield.

"If you want to cause trouble you jerk go somewhere else!" She yelled with determination in her eyes.

Levina looked at Lira. She smiled at the small girl's determination and vigor. The older teen was reminded of herself when she was younger. How eager she was to train with her friends when her father wouldn't let her.

"You heard them!" Ven made his keyblade appear.

"If you're just going to cause trouble, then you should leave right now." Levina added making her keyblade appear.

Lira looked at the two keyblades in awe. "Wow…" She said. "Those are awesome weapons."

Ven and Levina smiled at Lira.

"Thanks," Levina said to her. "With enough training, I'm sure you'll get one, one day too."

Pete looked around seeing that he was surrounded. "Alright, you win. I'll go, but Captain J's the one who solved all your problems." In fright the disguised Pete ran away in terror to another part of the town.

The two keyblade wielders made their weapons disappear and walked over to the ice cream maker machine.

"I wonder how this thing works." Ven wondered pushing a button on the piano that was attached to it. A splatter of ice cream batter spurted out from the machine like a thick ooze.

"I think I see the problem," Ven said to the three worried ducklings. "I think I can fix it for you."

"Really?" Huey asked.

"Alright!" Dewey cheered.

Ven played around with the different instruments that were attached to the ice cream machine. Soon enough there were pockets of different ice cream flavors being fired into ice cream cones the three ducklings had. The scoops of ice cream went from a small double cone to a giant tier reaching the stage's ceiling that was in the center of town.

"That should do it." Ven told them.

"Hooray! You fixed it!" Louie smiled.

"Now we can make our very own ice cream flavors for the festival!" Dewy said with glee.

"That will definitely be first prize for whoever gets the most vote for our Million Dreams Festival." Minnie smiled.

Lira watched as Ven and Levina walked off after getting their thanks from Huey, Dewey, and Louie. "Hey, I hope we can see each other again." She called to them.

Levina looked back waving at small girl. "You got it! My name's Levina! It was nice to meet you!"

Lira waved back at her. "I'm Lira, right back at you!" She smiled.

"That little girl seemed nice." Ven said to Levina as they walked around the Town Square. "It looked like she was training for something."

"Whatever she's training for, I'm sure she'll do fine," Levina said. "She seemed really determined to stop that Pete guy."

"Yeah, I hope he's not causing anymore troub—" Ven suddenly fell through an open manhole.

"Ven!" Levina cried out in concern jumping in after him hitting solid floor. "Are you ok?!"

"I think so…," Ven replied rubbing his side and getting up on his feet. He looked around the odd blue walled corridor. "This looks like a secret passage or something."

"Let's see where it leads us to!" Levina said eagerly following the path.

"Levina wait up!" Ven trailed after her. '_What if something happens down here?_' He thought in dismay and shook the concern off which turned into determination. '_There's no way I'd let anyone or anything hurt her.'_ He clutched his wayfinder close to his heart. '_Terra was right, she is really important to my heart._' He trailed after the running girl in front of him realizing that he was finally admitting these strange feelings in his heart.

* * *

While the two explored the underground hideout, Aqua showed up at the Town Plaza.

"Ta-da!" Pete posed in front of her. "Wearing the mask of peace and hope comes the hero and defender of this town… It is I, Captain Justice!

"Huh?" Aqua said completely dumbfounded by Pete's stupid antics. She ignored Pete and continued walking around the plaza.

"Hey, listen here ya pipsqueak!" Pete yelled at Aqua following her. "Who are you ta walk away whenst a bona fied hero is offerin' his help?"

Aqua looked back at him. Despite his annoying antics, the female keyblade wielder tried her best to be nice to him hoping he would leave her alone.

"Look I'm sorry," She told him. "I'm not looking for any kind of hero, bona fied or otherwise."

"Somebody come quick!" Horace Horsecollar yelled running over.

"Captain Justice to the rescue!" Pete ran over. "What seems to be the problem young citizen?"

Horace groaned in dismay looking at Pete. "You? I suppose you can help Mr. Hero," He said. "There's a horde of monsters reckin' the Fruitball court.

"Monsters?" Aqua asked. "The Unversed!" She looked at Horace. "Leave this to me!" She ran over to the court which sort of looked like a soccer field. Instead of using a ball, the game was about getting giant fruit-shaped balls into the other player's net. The Unversed were abusing this concept by sending giant balls of fruit at unsuspecting civilians.

"Now listen here little lady," Pete protested in Aqua fighting the Unversed. "Let Captain J handle this."

One of the Unversed heaved a giant pineapple fruit-ball by using the net as a sling shot hitting Pete making him fly into another net.

Aqua shook her head. "I tried to warn him." She faced the Unversed using her keyblade as a tennis racket slamming the giant fruit-balls back at the Unversed. Once the field was clear of the unruly dark monsters Horace thanked her happily as did Minnie as she walked arrived.

"You saved us all." Minnie thanked her.

"Who are you?" Aqua asked looking down at the small queen.

"She's Minnie, and she's our queen." Horace said to Aqua.

"Oh!" Aqua gasped realizing she was in front of royalty. "Your highness, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She bowed to her.

"No you do not have to bow," Minnie smiled at her. "Here we're treated like equals."

"That's so nice." Aqua smiled as something glimmering caught the corner of her blue eyes. She eyed the race track which was nearby. 'I-Is that Terra?' She thought seeing Terra racing around the race course on his keyblade glider. "Terra!" Aqua called to her waving at him.

Terra looked over. "Aqua?" Getting distracted by Aqua, Terra almost crashed into the tunnel he was going through, stopping just in time, but he fell off his glider.

Aqua quickly ran over to him holding her hand out to him. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine…" Terra groaned taking her hand and getting up.

Aqua smiled lightly. "Looks like to me you were having fun out here."

Terra's faced flushed with embarrassment. "N-No I wasn't," He stammered looking away. "I was just practicing some new moves, that's all."

"On a race course?" Aqua asked him questionably.

Terra sighed. "I could never hide anything from you, could I?" He looked her.

"It's why we're friends." Aqua said to him.

Terra smiled lightly at her and the two walked around the Town Plaza.

"Aqua…," Terra began. "Look about before…I…" He lowered his head trying to find the right words to say.

"Terra…." Aqua looked at him gently reaching for his hand. "Just say what's in your heart."

Terra looked down at Aqua's hand in his. "That's the problem…," He said to her. "I don't know how to say it…The darkness has been clouding my heart for such a long time… but…"

Aqua looked at him in concern. "But what?" She asked not leaving his hand.

"But visiting this world has showed me that I don't have to let the darkness control everything I do," Terra said. "There's still a light inside my heart that's keeping me from falling deeper into the darkness, despite everything I've done. I'm certain that small glimmer of light in my heart comes from you."

Aqua blinked her blue eyes. "From me?" She smiled at the boy in front of her. "I've felt the same about you for a long time," She admitted finally. "You have no idea how worried I was about you after the Mark of Mastery exam. Part of me didn't want to become a Keyblade Master because I knew how much it would hurt you." She sighed softly gently embracing him.

Terra stiffened slightly at the hug, but soon relaxed raising his arms and hugging her close to him.

"We need to stop hiding from each other," Aqua said gently pulling away looking into Terra's blue eyes. "And start admitting how we really feel about each other."

Hearing this Terra looked away. "I don't know if I could…," He stopped speaking as he felt Aqua's hand against his cheek.

"I'll be the light keeps the darkness in your heart at bay, Terra, I promise." Aqua said to him.

Terra's lips curled into a small smile. "And I'll make sure the darkness never touches you." He felt Aqua lean up against him kissing his lips.

The taste of her lips on his felt strange to Terra, but that didn't stop him from pulling her as close as he could enjoying the taste.

Aqua pulled from his lips and smiled, "I thought you didn't like sweet things."

"That kiss is an exception." Terra smiled at her.

* * *

Ven and Levina traversed through the hidden passage they had discovered on accident to find they were in Pete's reck room. There was a life size pinball machine which led to another opening.

"I'll bet we can see everything from there!" Ven declared. "Come on!"

Levina followed Ven to the giant pinball machine. "But how do we get up there?" She wondered.

"We'll just climb these." Ven indicated pointing to the flippers of the pinball machine and all the bumpers that were leading to the top. He looked at Levina for a moment. "You first." He said to her.

"What? Why me first?" Levina asked.

"Just in case, if you trip and fall, I'll be able to catch you." Ven beamed at her.

"Oh yeah?" Levina teased. "We'll see about that." She told him and began climbing the pinball machine.

Ven smiled watching her, not taking his eye off her as she safely reached the top.

"Ok Ven!" Levina shouted to him. "Your turn."

Ven climbed up the flippers towards all the colorful bumpers in the machine. He suddenly heard a rumble and saw a giant pinball being fired. The ball was headed straight for him.

"Ven!" Levina shouted to him.

"Uh-Oh! That's not good!" He yelled. Ven leaped in the air, since he was high enough to reach Levina's hand.

"Gotcha!" Leavina said to him grabbing his hand and pulled him to safety.

The two walked towards the light they saw at the end of the small tunnel.

"I was right!" Ven beamed happily. "You can see the entire town from up here!"

"The view's amazing!" Levina smiled brightly. "Just like back home whenever we see the stars at night!" She felt Ven's hand on hers. "Ven, what are you doing?"

"Oh…I…uh…," The small boy stammered. "I just wanted to hold your hand."

Levina giggled lightly. "Sure." She said to him as the two sat on the edge.

"Hey look!" Ven said pointing to familiar faces he had spotted down below. "It's Terra and Aqua!"

Levina looked over to where Ven was pointing. She saw how close Terra and Aqua were and smiled. "Those two seem real cozy." She giggled.

"So Aqua was that special girl Terra was talking about." Ven said out loud remembering what Terra had said to him earlier.

"What are you talking about?" Levina asked Ven curiously.

"Before Terra left Radiant Garden," Ven began. "He said there was someone special to his heart."

"Oh," Levina nodded in understanding. "Do you have someone special?" She asked the small boy.

"W-Who? Me?" Ven stammered looking flustered. "S-Sort of…" He could feel his face turning redder by the second.

Levina smiled at him gently. "I've got someone special too," She said to him squeezing his hand tenderly. "But the boy I like…he's just too chicken to admit how he feels about me."

"I'm not chicken!" Ven yelled in an out bursting tone. He realized what he had just said and rubbed the back if his head awkwardly. "I mean…," He looked at her. "Wait a minute? You mean I'm the guy you like?"

Levina nodded. "Yeah!" She smiled.

Ven happily smiled. "This is great!" He beamed at her. "Because you're the special girl that makes me happy inside of my heart!"

"I am?" Levina asked blushing lightly.

Ven's happy demeanor turned into a sincere one as he took both of Levina's hands in his and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Levina, I meant what I said…," He told her. "You're really special to me."

"Really?" Levina's eyes sparkled with happiness. She smiled as she saw Ven lean towards her to kiss her lips. Levina met him half way leaning towards him. They both felt their lips touch.

"A-hoy!" Huey, Dewey, and Louie called out to them.

The two keyblade wielders looked town seeing the three ducklings call out to them.

"C'mon!" Huey yelled.

"Queen Minnie's going to announce the winners of the Million Dream Festival!" Dewey told them.

"Hurry up!" Loue said.

Ven and Levina sighed shrugging off their emotions to each other and joined everyone down at the Town Plaza.

* * *

"Now it's time to begin the main event of our Million Dream Festival," Minnie began as she stood on the stage with Daisy and Pluto by her side. Terra, Aqua, Ven, Levina, Donald, Goofy, Lira, and the rest of the citizens of Disney Town were in the crowd awaiting the results as well. "The Million Dream presentation.

"Heh!" Pete scoffed still in his Captain Justice disguse. "Just skip to the part where you say my name. This is a shoo-in."

Minnie looked at the card she held in her hand and smiled. "Oh!" She said brightly. "This is very exciting. This year we have multiple winners! The million dreams award goes to Ventus, Terra, Aqua, and Levina! All four of you!"

Hearing this the crowd cheered and watched as the four keyblade wielders walked on the stage receiving special flavors of ice cream as their prize.

"What?!" Pete yelled flabbergasted. "There's gotta be a mistake!" He yelled outraged. "Check those votes again!"

Minnie looked at the card in her hand and realized she had made a mistake. "Oh, there is one more winner!"

Ha! See I told ya!" Pete said proudly as he began walking to the stage with pride.

"The other winner for the Million Dreams Award is Lira!" Minnie said. "For her excellent determination and focus on her training with Donald and Goofy."

"A 'yuck! Congratulations Lira!" Goofy beamed at her.

"Told you, you'd get your ice cream!" Donald said to her.

Lira beamed happily never winning anything in her entire life. She shoved Pete aside so she could climb up on stage joining the other winners.

Daisy handed each winner their ice cream. Terra got rockin' crunch ice cream, Ven got the double crunch, Aqua received the royal berry ice cream, Levina got the milky way ice cream, and Lira received the goofy and donald parfait fizz ice cream.

"There's gotta be a big mistake!" Pete yelled running up to the stage. "Everyone voted for Captain Justice!" He looked at the crowd. "Go on tell her!"

The crowd remained silent.

"That's enough of out of you Pete!" Minnie yelled. "I've tried to forgive a lot of things you've done, but this is too much!" She whistled. "Guards!"

The castle's guards came walking towards Pete. They were walking broomsticks and buckets which Mickey had controlled long ago when he was under the tutelage of Yen Sid. The broomsticks had tossed Pete out of Disney Town and into the Lanes Between as everyone else celebrated in that world.

Pete grumbled under his breath. "Who does she think she is, dumpin' me in a place like this!?" He growled annoyed. "I'll just bust out of here and –"

"_Quiet fool_," Maleficent voice boomed. "_You do not possess that kind of power_."

"Who…Whose there!" Pete stammered looking around nervously. "Show yourself!

"_That is enough!_" Maleficent ordered. "_Stop your sniveling and heed my words_."

Pete looked around listening to the voice intently.

"_If you do exactly as I say_," Maleficent began. "_I may decide you to release you from this prison._"

"Really?!" Pete said ecstatically. "You can count on me! I'll do anything you say! Just get me out of here!"

_"A very wise choice indeed."_ Maleficent said opening a dark corridor in front of Pete.

Pete looked at the empty dark void in front of him. "I've gotta go through that?" He asked and began walking towards the dark corridor.

* * *

Minnie smiled at all the happy faces despite the festival coming to a close.

"What's the matter Queen Minnie?" Daisy asked.

"I just wish Mickey was here to see everyone so happy." Minnie answered.

"I'm sure the king is doing fine, don't worry he'll be back soon." Daisy comforted her.

The four keyblade wielders raised their keyblades in the air making sparks shoot out from their weapons as they waved good-bye and thanked everyone for such a great time.

Lira smiled at Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Levina as they left. 'I hope one day I find someone special too.' She thought. 'Donald and Goofy are great friends, but it'd be nice to find someone too.'

"Lira come on!" Goofy said to her. "The gummi ship's ready!"

"Yeah, let's go to the Olympus Collessium and go see Phil!" Donald added. "He'll get you the training you need to fight."

"Donald! Becareful out there!" Daisy said to him as she watched the trio board the gummi ship.

"Don't worry about a thing Daisy," Donald reassured her. "I'll be fine."

"Yeah Daisy," Lira said. "He's got me and Goofy to watch his back."

Goofy laughed as the ship raced off into the sky and into the Lanes Between towards the Olympus Collessium.

* * *

Mickey's star shard had led the small king to another part of Radiant Garden. The mouse landed to the ground with a thud. He looked around realizing that he was in the castle's secret water way. "Gosh, I wonder why the star shard led me here?" He thought to himself. He then heard voices nearby.

The voices belonged to Master Xehanort and Braig. Mickey looked on in curiousity as he hid nearby listening to their every word. It looked as though Braig had gone through a rigorious annication of some sort. His brown eyes were now a pale gold color, similar to Master Xehanort.

"I still feel like myself, though." Braig said catching his breath.

"In time the piece of my heart that's inside of you will start to take shape." Master Xehanort said to him. "I need to make sure I last long enough to see my life long ambition become a reality. Kingdom Hearts will be mine."

Mickey clenched his tiny fists in his hand wanting to summon his keyblade. He knew wouldn't be able to take on two forces of darkness now. He wasn't ready to face them yet. He had to learn more of their plot before he could do anything about it. He saw a dark corridor open as the two men walked through. Mickey raced towards the dark corridor following them hoping to get close enough to stop whatever Master Xehanort wanted with Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**That's right I added the summons from the Final Fantasy games as a plot device :D They will play an important role in future chapters, but not right now. I hope you guys enjoyed all the shippy feels cause yeeeeah Xehanort will freaking ruin everything later smh. **

**:D Review! **


	13. To be A Hero

**Here's the next chapter everyone! I skipped a few essential points that was in the game, like the whole trip to Deep Space/Stich's world and Ven's visit to the coliseum. I didn't think it was relevant to the plot of this fic.**

**I am happy to say that is chapter is based around Lira, because after this chapter you won't read about her as much until later on. So enjoy!**

* * *

"_At that time, the World was filled with light, and a great many Keyblade wielders. But without buffers, the worlds began to squabble over ownership of the light. You see, they learned of the Keyblade's true use. War broke out as each of the Keyblade wielders struggled to lay claim to an almighty entity known as Kingdom Hearts." _ Xehanort Report III

Chapter 13 – To Be a Hero

Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Levina all left Disney Town. They smiled at each other across from the Lanes Between. This was when the four friends decided to separate and depart from each other. Ven and Levina passed a world with a grand coliseum that was having some sort of tournament to depict who would get to train with Phil and become a full-fledged hero. Seeing the coliseum Terra became intrigued by it.

'_Maybe I can finally conquer the darkness that's inside my heart_.' Terra thought. He could still feel the taste of Aqua's lips against his mouth. A small smile escaped his lips as he remembered the moment the two of them shared a kiss together. '_Or I could just get stronger and keep everyone I cherish away from the darkness_.' He looked back at Aqua's direction seeing that she had gone to take care of a swarm of unruly tiny Unversed spaceships that were threatening to harm Donald's gummi ship. He watched as the female keyblade wielder was able to decimate the Unversed with her strength and light. '_Getting stronger is just what I need to fight against the darkness_.' He landed at the coliseum gates.

* * *

At the coliseum gates Hercules had his hands full with his own group of Unversed. He was training under Phil when these creatures of darkness appeared out of nowhere. A giant Unversed known as a Buckle Buster knocked Hercules down against the ground. Hercules held his head shaking the stars out of his eyes. '_I can't wimp out like this_.' He thought. '_I need to go the distance and keep on fighting._'

Terra arrived at the coliseum noticing Hercules' plight. He quickly made his keyblade appear in his hand and rushed over to aid the hero in training.

"Stay back." Terra told him and fought the Unversed, never once taping into the darkness from his heart.

Hercules sat and watched as the Unversed disappeared in puffs of darkness.

"You okay?" Terra asked outstretching his hand to the fallen youth.

"Yeah, thanks," Hercules answered taking Terra's hand and getting up off the ground. He sighed heavily, "Guess they were too much for me. I guess I'll just have to train harder," He looked at Terra. "You're pretty tough – you really handled those things. Are you here to enter the games?"

"What games?" Terra asked curiously.

"The 'Games' games!" Hercules answered proudly. "To see who's strongest! One day I'm gonna win 'em all and become a true hero!"

"Herc!" Phill's gruff voice called out. "Front and center right now or I'm tackin' on another one thousand laps!"

Hearing this Hercules panicked a little. There was no way he was going to run a thousand laps again. "Uh-Oh I gotta go!" He said to Terra running towards Phil. "The coliseum's just up ahead. I hope I'll get to see you fight there sometime!"

Terra watched as Hercules hurried towards the coliseum gates. '_A competition?_' He thought. '_I suppose it couldn't hurt to see how strong I've really become_.'

* * *

Hades, the Lord of the Dead was in front of the gates of the coliseum. He was always planning something to bring down Zeus and the other Gods on Mount Olympus.

"Geez, Louise, one chump after another," Hades said out loud. "It's like the who's who of the decathlon disasters around here. All I need is one mealy warrior, tough enough to give Zeus a jolt of his own medicine!" He then noticed Terra enter the arena and could easily sense the darkness emanating from his heart. "Dark, moody, and powerful…He's perfect!"

Terra looked at the signs plastered on the walls of the different tournament slots he could enter. He didn't even realize Hades was stalking him. He was too fixated on entering and winning the Games hoping that gaining more strength would help quell the darkness that keeps threatening to swallow him.

'_This is it_.' Terra thought looking at the signs wondering which tournament he should enter first.

"How sad is this?" Hades taunted causing Terra to break out of his thoughts. "All that power going to waste."

"Who are you?" Terra asked demandingly.

Hades looked down at the boy. "Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead, God of the Underworld, yadda, yadda, how ya' doin'?" He greeted.

Terra blinked in confusion at Hades unorthodox, un-God like mannerism.

"Lemme guess, you're trying to put the whole kibosh on the darkness inside you." Hades said to him in a casual tone.

"Yes, how did you know that?" Terra questioned.

"Earth to the kid, I am a God," Hades replied. "I see and know everything. Not a good idea to stomp out all the darkness you've got." He said.

"What?" Terra asked.

"Okay, stay with me," Hades explained. "Darkness is inside everybody. Nothing to be ashamed of. You play nice with it, and darkness will become your best friend. But if you go and get all self-conscious over it and refuse to face it," He directed that last statement to Terra causing the boy to glare lightly. "The darkness will run over you like a debutante at a toga sale. And then where would you be? Nowhere!" He continued placing his dead blue hands on Terra's shoulders.

Terra bitterly scowled at the Lord of the Dead. He didn't like Hades touching him at all.

"Now me, I look at you and see potential," Hades went on. "That's right kid, you've got the potential to conquer the darkness inside you. And I'll even give you some pointers. I mean if anybody knows about conquering, I know conquering."

Terra shoved the powerful God away from him holding his keyblade tightly. "I don't need the darkness to conquer my heart and I'm not scared of it either!" He declared.

Hades lightly scowled. "Fine, don't take my help!" He seethed. "See what that gets you, once you're out of the Games."

"I think I'll do fine without _your_ kind of influence!" Terra spat back walking up to the Gates and heading towards the arena where he fought Unversed after Unversed winning each round. There was just one more round left. Hades observed this groaning in annoyance that his plan was failing.

"This is not what I had in mind!" Hades yelled spontaneously calming down. "But hey I can improvise. Time for plan beta…"

An unsuspecting soldier in armor walked past the Lord of the Underworld. He too was training with Phil along with Hercules.

"Pardon me," The soldier said brushing past Hades. "I'm going to miss my match."

Hades watched as the boy headed towards the arena to face off against Terra. He grinned with glee. "Hellooo, plan beta…! Hey kid!" He called out to the boy eagerly. "Gotta name?"

"It's Zack," The boy said. "Look I'm in a hurry."

"Relax," Hades replied. "That chicken hearted opponent of yours can wait a few more minutes." He told the youth. '_Besides, I'm just getting' started with you_.' Hades thought grinning manically waving his head unleashing small amounts of darkness that was sleeping inside his heart.

* * *

Terra patiently waited for his opponent to arrive. '_I've been doing fine without the darkness_,' He thought. '_Aqua was right, I don't need the darkness when I have the light to keep me strong. Just one more match and I'll win having enough strength to conquer the darkness inside my heart. I won't have to ever fear it again.' _ Terra broke from his thoughts as he saw his opponent.

Terra held his keyblade tightly clasped in his hand. Zack took his sword in hand a strange tingle of darkness flickered in his blue eyes. The two warriors faced each other and charged. With ease, Terra was able to knock Zack down swinging his keyblade.

"Better luck next time." Terra said turning away walking off feeling slightly proud that he had won the tournament. All his fears were put aside in his mind. He would no longer fear the darkness.

However, Zack wasn't finished yet. The defeated youth stood up holding his sword in his hands ready to fight again.

Terra turned around blocking Zack's sword swing with his keyblade. "Stop it!" Terra yelled blocking each sword swing with his keyblade. "The match is over!"

Terra's voice fell on deaf ears as Zack became more aggressive with his sword swings not caring what he did as long as he was able to cause harm to his opponent.

'_He was a push over before_,' Terra thought struggling to keep Zack's sword from striking him. '_What's gotten into him_?'

"I-It's…not me…" Zack said trying desperately to fight the darkness that was controlling him.

"What?!" Terra asked worried.

"I-I'm not…doing this…" Zack replied thrusting his sword at Terra once more.

Terra backed away quickly holding his keyblade out blocking Zack's sword again. He noticed a dark aura around the small youth. '_He's being controlled by the darkness_.' He thought remembering how Maleficent had used him to take Princess Aurora's light from her heart.

"So what do you think?" Hades smugly asked as he appeared in the arena in a puff of smoke. "You like my new super-warrior? You see right here-see it's the power of darkness. It could still be yours, if you open up to it!"

Terra glared at the Underworld leader realizing that he had been duped once again by the forces of darkness. "Hades!" He growled. "You were just playing me!" He pushed Zack back with his keyblade. "The darkness will never have me!"

Zack heavily breathed trying to regain control of his morality. "H-Help me…," He said to Terra. "Y-You've gotta…set my heart…free..." He charged forward at Terra swinging his sword, using orbs unearthed from his home world as means of magical attacks.

Terra slid away from the attacks being thrown at him, but was taken off guard as Zack swiftly swung his sword knocking Terra against the wall.

Terra caught his breath as Zack continued ramming his sword into his keyblade. The more Zack depended on the darkness, the more the darkness and Hades' spell began to diminish.

'_I've got to make this last move count_.' Terra thought as he raggedly caught his breath. He squeezes his fist. '_I have to use the darkness that's in my heart to overpower him_.' Coming to this decision, Terra let go of all his attached emotions. His friends, his feelings for Aqua, everything. His keyblade was suddenly surrounded by an unhealthy dark aura. Fragments of darkness shot out from the keyblade like a paint-ball gun, hitting Zack in every direction.

Zack looked at Terra, smiling lightly before collapsing to the ground. Seeing Zack defeated Hades rolled his eyes. "That kid doesn't have what it takes to handle the darkness." He said before walking off.

Zack groaned regaining control of his body again.

"You gonna make it?" Terra asked as he kneeled beside Zack making sure he was alright.

"Y-Yeah…," Zack replied exhausted. "I'm free." He observantly looked around for Hades. "Where did Hades go?"

"He's gone." Terra told him.

Zack angrily slammed his gloved fist into the ground. "Man, how could I let a guy like him control me?" He said angrily. "I'll never live it down!" He then noticed Terra extend his hand out to help him. The defeated youth whole heartedly accepted the offer and stood up.

"Thanks, umm..." Zack began trying to figure out what to call him.

"Terra." Terra smiled.

"Thanks Terra," Zack replied. "I'm Zack." He then looked at Terra closely smiling causing Terra to feel a little uncomfortable. "Yup, you're exactly what I pictured a hero would be like."

"Me? A hero?" Terra questioned.

"Not the way you look," Zack answered. "There's something else about you."

Terra shook his head turning away. "I'm no hero," He told him. "Trust me on that."

"You kidding?" Zack asked. "You just saved my life, according to my trainer Phil that puts you in the hero book for sure. Whether you like it or not you're a hero."

Terra smiled a little. "Thanks, Zack." He said. "You'll catch up and be a hero one day too."

"One loss isn't going to bring me down!" Zack replied doing his squats. "I've just got to keep on practicing! I'll be a hero one day, I know it."

Terra smiled at Zack's determination. He sighed lightly. '_Will the darkness always have a hold on me_,' He thought. '_At least this time I used the darkness to help someone rather than hurt them_.' He smiled a little at this hopeful thought and left the coliseum.

* * *

Ven and Levina raced through the Lanes Between. They saw Terra leaving the coliseum.

"A tournament sounds like fun," Levina said. "We should go check it out."

Ven nodded moving his glider towards the giant coliseum when something caught his eye. A blue shimmering star headed towards an island.

"That's Mickey's star shard!" Ven thought out loud. The two teens watched as the star shard zigzagged about in the Lanes Between before crashing onto the small island shaped world.

"He could be hurt!" Levina exclaimed.

Forgetting about the coliseum Ven raced towards the island to help their friend. Levina looked back seeing the swarm of jelly-like Unversed that were harassing Donald's gummi ship were now after them.

"Ven..," Levina shrieked slightly clinging to him. "We've got company."

"What?" Ven looked back seeing the swarm of Unversed catching up to them. He quickly made his keyblade appear in his hand trying to swat the Unversed away. The Unversed swarmed Ven's glider trying to rock them off.

"They're going to kill us!" Levina panicked.

"There's too many, we can't fight them like this." Ven said quickly taking hold of Levina's hand.

Levina stared at her friend nervously. "Ventus, what are you doing!?" She yelled fearing the worst as to what her friend was thinking.

"There's no way we'll be able to fight them all," Ven told her tightly holding her hand. "We're going to have to jump!"

"Are you out of your mind!?" Levina screamed looking down at the tiny island like world.

Ven squeezed her hand not letting go. "Trust me! We'll be ok!"

Levina nodded her head as Ven disembarked from his glider pressing the armor on his shoulder so that the small Unversed wouldn't destroy his glider. Together the two teens jumped into the world below them.

* * *

Mickey rubbed his head landing in an Indian camp on the island. He got up looking at his Star Shard. '_Why did it lead me here?_'' He wondered and noticed a dark corridor. The tiny mouse made a motion to summon his keyblade.

"Move it." A chilling voice from behind the small mouse ordered.

Mickey quickly turned around seeing that it was Vanitas. Before the tiny mouse could act, Vanitas kicked Mickey into the dark corridor making the small king drop his Star Shard.

"The Master will take of you," Vanitas sneered. "I've got other things to take care of." The masked boy suddenly clutched his chest where his heart would be. He had been feeling this pain ever since the trip to Radiant Garden. It was not pain which normal people felt that was hurting his chest. This type of pain was unfamiliar to him because he never experienced what it was like to be happy with another person. He growled in frustration. Whatever this happy feeling that was forming inside his chest, he detested it. '_That little fool_,' Vanitas thought gritting his teeth. '_Ventus is definitely here and so is that girl he's always hanging around with_. _It's time I took care of them both_.'

* * *

"Gawrsh, it was sure nice of that girl with the keyblade to help us." Goofy beamed as the gummi ship landed beside the coliseum.

Donald suddenly quacked seeing Aqua's keyblade glider arriving to the coliseum too. "She's the one who helped us."

"Is she getting training from Phil, too?" Lira wondered.

Donald and Goofy both shrugged.

"She didn't seem to need any kind of trainin', the way she held her own against those monsters." Goofy said.

"Well, she's not taking my spot!" Lira grumbled. "I'm the one who needs to train with Phil, not her!"

"Come on!" Donald told his friends as they disembarked from the gummi ship.

Aqua arrived at the coliseum and was suddenly surrounded by Unversed. She quickly made her keyblade appear ready to fight them.

Suddenly Phil ran towards her posing dramatically. "Stand back sweet cheeks, I'll handle this." He told her making an attempt to impress her.

Aqua looked down at the tiny goat blinking in surprise. Phil looked up at the Unversed who could easily step on the trainer of heroes of they wanted. Seeing the large opponents, Phil backed off and ran.

"Herc!" He yelled. "They're all yours!"

Hercules ran over to Aqua and helped her fight the Unversed.

Aqua watched as Hercules lifted one of the Unversed above his head and tossed them into the others. '_He's incredibly strong_.' Aqua thought impressed by the strength Hercules had. She realized that he was no ordinary human being.

Once the Unversed were taken care of, Phil walked over to them. "Oy, those wackos almost made gyros out of me!"

"Well maybe if you weren't trying to show off…" Hercules began.

"Who asked you, kid?" Phil scoffed. "Besides you'll understand when you're older."

Hercules sighed. "And stronger too," He said. "Strong enough to be a hero."

Aqua looked at Hercules. "You think being strong is what makes you a hero?"

"Sure!" Hercules smiled. "Look at how strong Terra is, and he's the champion."

"Terra?" Aqua asked. "He was here."

"Yup," Hercules nodded. "He won the Games and beat one of our best contenders!"

Aqua smiled hearing this and then thought, '_Terra, why did you need to prove yourself on how strong you are?'_

"So sugar cakes," Phil began flirting with Aqua again. "You got any plans for later? You know I've trained a few heroes in my time. Maybe I could recite some epic poetry?"

"Oh Phil!" Goofy ran towards the trainer.

Phil looked over and face palmed. "Oh no, not you two again!" He groaned. "Look I don't care what kind of warrior your king sent me, but I've got my hands full right now."

"But it's urgent!" Donald told him.

Aqua looked over seeing Lira with them. "Oh it's you," She smiled at her. "We met at the festival."

"Big deal," Lira scoffed. "Look if you're trying to get in the way of my training, you're going to have to fight me for it!"

"Training?" Aqua questioned. "No, I'm not here to train."

"You aren't?!" Phil yelled flabbergasted. "But I could teach you things you'd never imagine possible." He winked at her.

"But Phil…," Hercules protested. "You're supposed to be training me!"

"Shh!" Phil spat back. "Pipe down kid!" He scolded Hercules and then looked at Aqua staring at her. "You and she ain't go the same _attributes_, if you know what I mean."

Lira looked at Donald and Goofy. "I'm supposed to get training from this perverted old goat?" She asked them.

"Gawrsh Lira dontcha worry about a thing!" Goofy told him. "We'll make sure he doesn't do anything to ya!"

Phil continued to try his best to win over Aqua. "So what do you say sweet cheeks?"

Aqua shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't need a trainer," She looked towards Lira. "I think she does though."

Phil turned around looking at Lira. "What?!" He exclaimed. "You want me train a little girl!? No way, not gonna happen!"

Lira's blue eye began to twitch. "Who are you calling a little girl?!" She yelled unsheathing her sword from her scabbard.

"But Phil," Hercules began. "She's just a few years younger than Zack," He smiled." And you're training him too."

Phil groaned realizing that he was in one hell of a situation and sighed. "Fine…," He said. "I suppose I could train you, but you've gotta show me if you've got what it takes to be a true hero," He then looked at Aqua again. "If you don't wanna train I guess you can help moderate the little pipsqueak."

The female keyblade wielder ran her fingers through her hair. "I suppose, I could..." She said politely and smiled at Lira, "Good luck." She told her.

Lira nodded following Phil and Hercules towards the vestibule. As they entered they saw Zack swinging his sword at six wooden manikins taking them all out in one shot.

* * *

"Oh yeah!" Zack cheered. "That's a new record for me!" He said energetically wiping the sweat from his forehead. He turned around seeing Phil and the others.

Lira's face flushed as she saw Zack. '_H-He's so handsome…_' She thought.

Donald saw Lira's face and his face became red with anger. "Lira! Focus!" He scolded the girl.

"R-Right…" Lira stammered. "Sorry."

"You've got a new sparring partner Mr. Hero." Phil said looking at Zack.

Zack looked towards Aqua's direction. "You're here to train? That's great!" He said rushing over to her and taking her hand. "I'm Zack!"

"It's nice to meet you Zack, I'm Aqua," Aqua told him. "But I'm not your sparring partner.

Hearing this Zack frowned a little. "Oh…," He said disappointed. "Then who is?"

Everyone in the room pointed to Lira.

Zack looked at Phil. "Uh…Phil, you want me to spar with a little girl?" He asked his trainer.

Lira growled under her breath. "I'll show him who's a little girl!" She scowled running at Zack with her sword.

"H-Hey!" Zack quickly blocked Lira's movements with his own sword. The tiny girl then used a plethora of magic spells to distract the young boy knocking his feet from under him.

Hercules, Aqua, and Phil saw this and their jaw dropped.

"Whoa!" Hercules cried out. "No one's ever done that before!"

Aqua smiled. "She has a lot of determination that's for sure."

Zack sat up from the ground. "That was incredible!" He beamed. "I can't wait to spar with her, with a little more training she'll be as good as Terra!"

Hearing Terra's name, Aqua looked at Zack. "Zack, Terra's a friend of mine," She told him. "How exactly is it that you know him?"

"He saved my life," Zack explained while squatting. "During the last Games, this dude named Hades tried to make Terra his pawn of darkness and he used me to do it. He had some kind of magic or something that made me crazy, gave me strange powers and turned me against Terra," He stopped squatting and stood up. "But you know what? Terra freed me and he used the darkness to do it."

'_Terra…_,' Aqua thought. '_You used the darkness to save someone?_''

"Enough with the drama," Zack said whole-heartedly looking at Lira. "Come on into the arena and let's spar."

"You're on!" Lira agreed following Zack into the arena.

"Lira, do your best!" Donald told her.

"Ayuck! We'll be cheerin' for ya!" Goofy added.

Zack looked at Donald and Goofy and he smiled at them. "Hey it's you two!" He greeted them. "How's your king? I never got the chance to thank you two for bringing me here! Training here has been a thrill for me!"

Lira looked back at Donald and Goofy. "You two know him?"

"Well sort of," Donald began. "He came from another world looking to be a hero."

Goofy nodded. "But the king was still trainin' under Master Yen Sid, so we told him to come to the coliseum and see Phil!"

Lira smiled at Zack. She didn't realize that the two of them had so much in common already. They both wanted the same thing. To be known for something great. She ran towards the coliseum and stopped in her tracks as a puff of smoke appeared out of nowhere revealing Hades.

"Here I thought I'd drop in to see which muscle-head was up next to compete in the Games," Hades said walking towards Aqua and others. "Holy Hydras! It's just a little girl, a little lassie, and a little blue bird." He sneered looking down at Lira and Aqua.

Aqua quickly pushed the little girl next to her glaring at him.

"Hades!" Zack yelled.

Hades turned around rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry," The leader of the Underworld began. "I didn't ask for a mosquito, where'd I put that bug spray."

"Mosquito?!" Zack yelled balling his gloved hands into a fist.

"So, you're Hades!" Aqua glared at the blue being in front of her. "You used Zack and tried to cast Terra into the darkness!"

"So I assume you're acquainted with the spineless chicken heart!" Hades retorted.

"Terra is my friend!" Aqua spat back. "And I heard he triumphed over the darkness! He's not spineless!"

Hades laughed at this. "Funny, ya know 'cause I heard different, it was Chickenheart who wanted instruction on how to use the darkness in the first place."

"Never!" Aqua declared.

"And he was so close to doing it too, when the sap went and got cold feet!" Hades yelled turning an alarming blaze of red. "Now, if that ain't cowardly, I don't know what is!" He then looked at Aqua. "But you my little blue bird, why don't you flit on over here and be a part of the winning team." He gestured to her.

Aqua shoved Hades' hand away from her. "The darkness doesn't interest me!" She yelled.

"Well that was rude!" Hades said. "A simple 'no you're Godliness would've sufficed." He then grinned. "Fortunately," He added clearing his throat. "I still get to destroy you! Rules say, you face me next! And I've got a whole lot of darkness with your name on it!" He laughed viciously and disappeared.

"Get back here Hades!" Zack growled trying to get after him. He sighed as the smoke disappeared. "Man, if I was only up against him!" He then looked towards Aqua's direction. "You've gotta avenge me and Terra!"

"Don't worry Zack, I will!" Aqua declared. As she said this the entire coliseum became pitch black as an eerie dark cloud hovered above the coliseum.

"Gawrsh this doesn't look good." Goofy panicked.

"Will you stop blubbering Goofy!" Donald yelled. "You're not even fighting!"

Lira looked at Aqua. "I want to help you!" She said eagerly.

"No, I can handle this on my own," Aqua said to her. "Besides if anything happens to me or any of my friends, you'll have to be the one to keep the light safe."

Lira nodded her head and sat beside Zack who was in the stands. There was a cold sensation coming from the coliseum.

"It sure got cold real fast." Donald said casting a ball of fire around them. The ball of fire was suddenly snuffed out as a large icicle raced towards them. The ground underneath them began to shake as everyone saw two large iced hands crawling into the arena. It was the Icicle Titan, one of four minions that Hades had in his possession. Lira gently held Zack's hand frightened by the giant ice monster.

Zack looked at down at the little girl's hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Hades appeared in a puff of smoke grinning. "I never said one-on-one."

Zack quickly let go of Lira's hand and yelled, "No fair Hades!"

"I suppose that's in the rules!" Aqua glared at the immortal God readying her keyblade.

"Rule number 2: Combatants may call for back up," Hades said casually. "Maybe you better call yours blue bird."

Hearing this Zack rushed over to aid Aqua. "He's already here!"

Seeing Zack rush over to help Aqua, Lira pouted a little. '_What does __**she**__ have that I don't?_' She thought in dismay lightly glaring at Aqua.

"Don't Zack!" Aqua told him holding her keyblade tightly. "I can handle this on my own!"

The female keyblade wielder rushed at Hades with her weapon striking the immortal God. She then cartwheeled out of the way as the Ice Titans began to throw large icicles that were threatening to bring the arena down.

"Look out!" Goofy yelled as they saw a barrage of giant icicles heading straight for them.

Lira waved her staff in the air casting a shielding blaze of fire. "_Firaga_!" She yelled holding her staff high in the air. The icicles melted away.

Lira looked at Donald. "Told you I was training my hardest." She said cheekily.

Aqua looked over making sure her new friends were safe. '_Good_,' she thought. '_I won't have to worry about them. I can focus all my attention on Hades and his ice monster!_'' She used all her enhanced magic power creating a sword of light which fused with her keyblade. She ran at Hades swinging the fused weapon in her hand striking the Lord of the Underworld several times and knocked him into the giant Ice Titan.

The Ice Titan howled in pain as Hades' fire began hurting it and fell over with a giant thud.

Hades growled in frustration. "I knew that snow cone wouldn't cut it!" He yelled. "I need a real Titan!" He looked at his opponents. "In the next Games, you kids won't be so lucky!" He laughed and disappeared.

Aqua caught her breath making her keyblade disappear.

"Wow!" Lira said to Aqua. "That was amazing! I hope I'll get to be as powerful as you one day!"

Aqua smiled at Lira. "I think you will," She smiled at her. "You've got a lot of courage and determination, that's what makes you a true hero."

"Stupid Hades," Zack grumbled. "Next time, I'll put him in his place." He then looked at Aqua as they all walked out of the arena. "Oh yeah, you're the champ now!" He said to her happily. "We gotta celebrate!"

Aqua looked at Zack. "That won't really be necessary." She told him.

"I've got it!" Zack smiled at her. "How about one date?!" He asked.

Lira's jaw almost dropped to the ground as she heard Zack asking Aqua out.

"Huh?!" Aqua exclaimed turning bright red. "N-No…I can't…I've…," She stammered with her words. "I have to leave right away…," She tried her best to make an excuse. "Besides I still have to find Terra and my other friends." She then looked towards Lira who was hatefully glaring at her. A smile touched the female keyblade wielder's lips. "I think you've already have someone here to ask out on a date.

"Fair enough," Zack agreed. "But when I become a true hero, we'll have to go out on a date!"

"I…," Aqua began. "I can't make any promises, sorry." She told him. '_Terra would be so upset if I said yes to him,_' She thought and smiled at Lira. '_But I think Lira likes this boy_.' She smiled at the two and left the coliseum.

"It's ok! I'll be right here training my hardest!" Zack called out to Aqua as she left and looked at Lira. "Are you ok?"

"Fine!" Lira hmphed and turned away from the boy.

"Did I do something wrong?" Zack asked her.

Lira turned to look at him. "You aren't the only one who wants to be hero, you know! Maybe next time we spar I'll make sure you'll be down permanently!" She yelled running off to see Phil.

"Hey wait a second!" Zack called out to her running after her.

Donald and Goofy laughed at this, the two were suddenly distracted by a beep coming from the gummi ship.

"Master Yen Sid wants you two back the Tower right away!" Chip said on the intercom.

"What's the problem?" Donald asked.

"It's the king!" Dale exclaimed. "He's gone missing! Master Yen Sid can't track his Star Shard anywhere!"

"What?!" Goofy yelled. "That's impossible!"

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and then at Lira.

"We can't leave her here by herself!" Donald said to his friend.

"Gawrsh Donald, but the king…" Goofy panicked.

Donald sighed. "Ok we'll go help Master Yen Sid find the king, but then we have to come straight back!"

Goofy ran over to Lira and explained that they had to leave.

"King Mickey's missing?" Lira asked in concern.

"Don't worry Lira, we'll find him." Goofy reassured her.

"Just focus on your training and we'll be back before you know it!" Donald told her.

The two parted ways and headed back to the Mysterious Tower hoping that Yen Sid knew where their king was.

'_See you guys later_.' Lira thought smiling lightly.

* * *

Mickey stumbled out of the dark corridor falling over. The tiny mouse found himself back in the Keyblade Graveyard, where he had met Ven and Levina. He got up from the barren ground.

"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed realizing that he had lost his Star Shard. He warily looked around. "How am I supposed to get out of here…?"

"You aren't." Xehanort's voice echoed from behind him.

Mickey swiftly turned around summoning his Star Seeker keyblade. "You..! You're the one trying to harm all the worlds?!" He yelled. "Why?!"

A devious grin was plastered on Xehanort's face. "I suppose Yen Sid has trained you well if you were able to figure out my plans to blanket all the worlds in darkness," He commended Mickey. "However, your Master is lacking one important vital piece of information."

Mickey glared at the old man in front of him. "Tell me!" He demanded.

"The X-blade…" Xehanort simply said.

'_X-blade…?,_' Mickey thought and a sudden fear had struck him. He had heard about this weapon from Yen Sid. The X-blade was THE keyblade of keyblades. The most powerful keyblade able to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, the source of every single world imaginable.

Mickey squeezes his tiny fists. "You won't get it!" The king declared. "I'll stop you myself if I have to!"

Xehanort smirked at Mickey's foolish attempt to stop him. The old man outstretched his hand summoning his keyblade in a wave of darkness.

Mickey took a step back, but tightly held onto his keyblade. '_He's using the darkness as his weapon,_' He thought. '_I might not make it out of here alive, but I've gotta try!_'

The tiny mouse charged at Xehanort jumping in the air only to be halted as a wave of trembling darkness struck him. Mickey fell to the ground and his keyblade lying beside him. Mickey's gloved hand twitched as he tried to reach for his weapon.

Xehanort kicked Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade aside aiming his own weapon at the small mouse.

"See how powerless you are to stop me," Xehanort told him. "You wielders of light cannot fathom how useful the darkness is. It will be your undoing."

Mickey gasped trying to stand, but his tiny body was too weak. He hazily watched as Xehanort walked away from him. He thought of Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Lira, Ven, Levina, and all his other friends he had made along his journey before closing his eyes and letting darkness consume him.

* * *

**What? I had to introduce the X-blade. Will Mickey survive? What about Ven and Levina? Will Lira get the training she needs? There's just one more world visit left before everything goes down to hell!**

**:D Review! **


	14. Legacy

**No this is not an April Fool's joke! This is a legit chapter! I was thinking about trolling you guys with a fake chapter, but I'm not that mean **

**I took out Terra's and Aqua's trip to Neverland for this fic because Terra's angsting in Neverland is really pointless since he's already proved that he's strong enough to control the darkness in his heart and as for Aqua, I didn't want her having her final fight with Vanitas in Neverland because Ven deserves to fight him in the end. **

* * *

"_Was my time drawing to an end, then, after all I had accomplished since casting away the place of my birth? Surely waiting for a quiet death would not do, not when there was still so much I needed to see for myself. Powers help me, I thought, my body is so old..." Xehanort Report VIII_

Chapter 14 – Legacy

"Tinker Bell!" One of the Lost Boys of the famous Peter Pan called out to the small pixie.

Tinker Bell looked back at Slightly dressed in a fox costume. She began floating around an unconscious Ven and Levina.

"Uh…They ain't movin'" Chubby said who was dressed in a bear outfit.

Tinker Bell floated forward towards Ven face. The unconscious boy let out a soft groan as he felt Tinker Bell's wings tickle his nose.

"Let's try kickin' them!" Slightly suggested.

Tinker Bell gave nod kicking Ven in the face causing the boy to roll over.

Ven rubbed his head sitting up. "You didn't have to kick me." He told the small pixie.

"So who are you?" Slightly asked curiously.

"We've never seen you here before." Chubby added.

"Name's Ventus, but everyone just calls me Ven." Ven replied as he saw Tinker Bell floating towards Levina. "Ah! No don't kick her!" The boy panicked running over to his friend shooing the small pixie away. "Levina," He gently shook her. "Come on wake up." He urged her.

Levina let out a small groan and opened her eyes. "Ven..!" She smiled at him relieved that they were both still alive.

"Guess when we jumped we must've fallen really hard." Ven said rubbing the back of his head.

"So where do you two come from?" Slightly asked curiously.

"Well..," Levina began, but Tinker Bell interrupted by floating over to the two Lost Boys urgently moving around like something was bothering her. "Is she ok?" Levina asked.

The small pixie began tugging on Slighly's fox ears. "Alright, alright we're goin'!" He told her.

Chubby looked back at Ven and Levina. "So long you two." He said to them and walked off.

"Hey!" Ven called out to them. "Where are you guys off to?"

"Tink saw a shootin' star and we're gonna go hunt it down!" Chubby answered excitedly.

"A shooting star?" Ven pondered.

Levina looked at Ven concerned. "That good be Mickey's, Star Shard!" She told him.

"Yeah, you're right!" Ven replied and then looked back at the two Lost Boys. "Mind if we come along too?"

"Course not!" Slightly said to them with a smile. "But you gotta follow us!"

"Yeah, the shoot star fell…er…," Chubby looked around as Tinker Bell continued to float around them. The small pixie pointed towards the Indian Camp who Peter Pan had befriended after saving the Chief's daughter from Captain Hook. "That-a-way!" He told them. "By the Indian Camp!"

The Lost Boys and Tinker Bell led Ven and Levina to their fort which was just a simple tree branch in the middle of the jungle.

Ven and Levina stopped walking as they heard Peter's infamous lost boy cry.

"What was that?" Levina asked gently clinging to Ven's arm.

"I'm not sure." Ven answered looking around ready to make his keyblade appear if anything threatened Levina or his new friends.

"Relax, it's just Peter Pan!" Slightly told them.

"Yeah!" Chubby added. "Here he comes!"

To their amazement, Ven and Levina saw a boy flying towards them dressed in a green tunic, tights and green feather hat.

"He can fly?!" Levina exclaimed all wide eyed.

Peter Pan flew towards Ven and Levina. "Who are you supposed to be?" He asked. "I've never seen you here before."

"I'm Ventus, but everyone just calls me Ven," He told the leader of the Lost Boys. "This is my friend Levina."

"A _girl_!?" Peter yelled out horrified looking at Levina. "You led a girl to our hideout! That's just as bad as having Captain Hook here!"

"Huh?" Ven questioned. "I don't get it, why is it bad for Levina to be here?"

"Because she's a _girl_!" Peter replied. "We don't want girls in our troop!"

"That's right!" Slightly agreed with his leader.

"No girl's allowed!" Chubby added.

Levina grumbled under her breath. "But you have Tinker Bell with you, she's a girl!" She said defensively.

"Tink's not a girl!" Peter spat back. "She's a pixie!"

Levina sighed rolling her eyes. "Oh give me a break!" She looked at Ven. "You're not going to stand there and let them treat me like this are you, Ven?"

"Uh….," Ven stammered. "No of course not…but…"

"Don't let that girl tell you what to do, Ventus!" Peter told him.

Ven struggled with his words looking back and forth at Peter and Levina.

Levina frowned a little when Ven didn't say anything. "I get it…," She said. "You just think I'm some dumb girl following you around on some silly adventure, right?"

"No!" Ven told her. "You're my best friend! I wouldn't have made this far without you!"

Levina turned away from him. "Sure Ven…," She sighed. "Well you know what!" She declared facing the boys. "I'll find Mickey's Star Shard on my own! I don't need you boys to help me!" She told them running off towards the Indian Camp.

"Levina!" Ven cried out to her. "Wait!" He dropped his head in defeat and sighed.

"Don't worry about her Ven!" Peter said.

"But she's my friend…," Ven began. "And she's really important to me."

"Important?" Peter asked. "Like treasure?"

"Treasure?" Ven asked. "Sort of…," He said. "You shouldn't have treated Levina like that, just because she's a girl doesn't mean she's not capable of doing the same thing you guys do."

Chubby and Slightly lowered their heads.

"Goly, we're sorry." Slightly told him.

"We were just teasin' her," Chubby added. "We didn't mean anything by it."

Peter awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Tell you what, Ven," He began. "Since that girl's so important to you, we'll help you find her."

"You will?!" Ven beamed. "Thanks!"

"We better move fast or Captain Hook might find her instead," Peter warned Ven and looked to his Lost Boys and pixie. "C'mon men forward! March!"

* * *

Levina wandered the vast jungle and saw teepees in the distance. "That must be the Indian Camp!" She raced forward noticing something glimmering in the distance. "Mickey's Star Shard!" She reached forward for it, when somebody else grabbed it. This person had a hook for a hand.

"Well, what do we have here?" Captain Hook pondered looking at the star shard.

"Looks like a shootin' star, Captn'" Smee, Hook's faithful companion and right hand pirate said.

"Give that back!" Levina shouted glaring at the pirates making her keyblade appear.

Hook and Smee looked at the young girl in front of them. "You're just a wee little lass," He said to her. "Go on home."

Levina growled. "I'll show you!" She charged at Hook when suddenly she was surrounded by the rest of Hook's pirates who had jumped out of the teepees. She mentally cursed to herself. '_Great, now what?_' Levina thought holding her keyblade in her hand.

"A shooting star and a young maiden, must be me birthday!" Hook said eagerly pleased. He walked over to Levina. "Tell me where Peter Pan is hiding?!"

"Sorry I was taught not to tell strange pirates anything!" Levina spat back stomping on the pirate's foot.

Hook became enraged hopping on one leg. "You lousy little brat!" He seethed. "You'll walk the plank for this!"

"Like I'm afraid of you!" She glared swinging her keyblade at the pirates making them back away and ran off towards the Mermaid Lagoon.

"After her men!" Hook screamed to his fellow pirates.

Levina looked back as she ran knowing perfectly well she wouldn't be able to fight all those pirates off by herself. She suddenly crashed into someone and fell over.

Levina looked up at the person who she crashed into and saw Vanitas. "You again!" She growled.

Vanitas noticed the pirates chasing after her and smugly replied, "I'll keep you safe from the pirates."

She glared at the masked boy. "I don't need _your_ kind of help!" She yelled raising her keyblade.

Vanitas shrugged as hoards of Unversed appeared from nowhere surrounding the girl. Making his keyblade appear, the masked boy said to her, "I suppose I'll just have to destroy you instead!"

Levina swung her keyblade at the Unversed as the creatures ganged up on her. She stopped fighting the moment she heard Ven calling for her.

"Ven – Oof!" The distracted girl fell over as one of the Unversed knocked her down letting go of her keyblade.

"Finally caught you, you little harpy!" Hook said lifting the unsuspecting girl from the ground with his hook hand.

Levina growled under her breath squirming as Hook pointed his sword at her.

Hook looked towards Vanitas shaking his sword in the air. "She's our prisoner, you no good brat!"

Vanitas glared from his mask wanting to end Hook for insulting him. He continued to hear Ven call for Levina. "Fine have her," He told the Captain carelessly kicking Levina's keyblade into the lagoon. '_Let's see if you can find your little friend Ventus, then I'll be waiting to destroy you_.' He thought and disappeared through a dark corridor.

* * *

"Levina!" Ven shouted for her. "Where could she be?" He pouted worrying about her.

"Don't worry Ven, I'm sure she couldn't have gotten far." Peter reassured her.

The two Lost Boys wandered around the Mermaid Lagoon.

Chubby spotted something floating in the lagoon.

"Peter!" Slightly shrieked. "Chubby found something!"

"What did you find?" Peter asked curiously floating over to the small boy.

Out from the lagoon Chubby pulled Levina's keyblade.

Ven's jaw dropped as he saw the keyblade in the tiny boy's hand. "That's Levina's keyblade…!" He said nervously. He took the keyblade from the small boy fearing the worst for his friend. "Levina…," He said his friend's name softly gently clinging to the keyblade. He felt tears stinging his eyes that were threatening to fall.

"Move!" Peter cried out getting Ven's attention.

Ven saw a cannon ball heading straight for him. The boy made his own keyblade appear and swatted the metal ball into the ocean.

"It's Captain Hook's ship!" Slightly cried in terror.

"That old cod fish thinks he can try and kill us!" Peter said. He suddenly felt Tinker Bell tugging on his sleeve. "What's the matter Tink?" He asked the small pixie.

Tinker Bell pointed to the ship with her small hand. Ven was the first to see that Levina was on the pirate ship. Her hands were tied behind her back with Hook dangerously grasping the girl with his hook hand.

"Levina!" Ven shouted running over to the edge of the cliff where the water met. He stopped half way noticing a crocodile in the ocean circling the pirate ship. '_There's no way my keyblade glider will be able to withstand that crocodile_,' He thought and then looked at the pirate ship. "I have to get her back!" He told his new friends and then looked at Peter. "How am I supposed to get across that ocean without the crocodile trying to eat me?"

Peter smiled brightly. "All you need is a little pixie dust!" He then motioned Tinker Bell to Ven. "Go ahead Tink!"

Tinker Bell floated above Ven, sprinkling pixie dust on the spikey headed boy.

"Bet you feel really light now!" Peter said.

In that moment Ven could feel his feet leaving the ground and began floating in midair. "Whoa!" Ven smiled. "This is incredible! I'm flying!" He said happily flying around the lagoon and getting used to the air mechanics of flight. He looked at the pirate ship in the distance. "Hold on Levina, I'm coming!" He said flying into the sky towards the ship.

"We have those rotten brats on the run, now!" Hook declared. "Keep firing those canons!" He ordered his fellow pirates and then leered at Levina. "As for you, this is your final chance! Tell me where Peter Pan's hideout is!" The Captain demanded.

Levina just glared at her captor. "I'm not telling you anything!" She spat at him. "There's no way I'll endanger my friends!"

Enraged by Levina's defiance, Hook shoved the girl towards a plank at the edge of the ship. He took his sword out and pointed it at her back. "Start walking you no good little brat!" Suddenly Hook panicked hearing the sounds of a familiar clock. "O-Oh no!" He panicked shrieking. "It's that no good crocodile! Back for me other hand!"

"Calm down Captn'," Smee said reassuringly to his boss. "He'll have that girl for a snack."

"That's right," Hook said delighted and then pointed his sword at the girl once more. "Go on!" He ordered.

Levina took small paces towards the plank and saw the green crocodile below the ship hungrily opening his mouth. The more she edged forwards, the more the crocodile became eager with hungry. '_Ven_…,' She thought. '_I'm sorry I got mad at you. I just wanted to prove to Peter Pan that a girl can do anything a boy can_.' She fought the tears in her eyes. '_Now I'll never see you or Aqua or Terra or my Dad again._' The girl shut her eyes tightly as she reached the edge of the plank taking one final step and plunging off the edge of the ship.

Hook, Smee, and the rest of his pirates waiting to hear if Levina had hit the water. There was no splash at all.

"Where's the splash?" Smee pondered.

Hook leaned over the edge of the ship and noticed Ven floating in between the ship and water holding Levina in his arms.

"It's ok Levina," Ven told her smiling. "You're safe." He said untying her hands.

Levina slowly opened her eyes and smiled at Ven. "Ven!" She beamed with delight throwing her arms around the boy's neck. She then looked down realizing that Ven was flying. "Y-Your flying?!" She exclaimed gently clinging to the boy's neck.

"Yup!" Ven smiled. "All it took was Tinker Bell's pixie dust!" He told her flying back to dry land. "Peter and the Lost Boys found this." The boy held out Levina's keyblade.

"My keyblade!" Levina smiled taking the weapon in her hand and then frowned a little. "Ven…I…," She began. "I'm sorry I ran off like that." She said to him. "I just wanted to show Peter and those Lost Boys that a girl can do a lot of things just like a boy!"

Ven smiled at her. "Hey I know you that you're a great keyblade wielder," He said to her. "You and Aqua are my best friends. Even if you two weren't girls, I'd still want to be friends with you and Aqua!"

Hearing this Levina smiled. "Thanks Ven…," She then looked over to Peter and the Lost Boys who were fighting Captain Hook and the rest of his pirates. "What do you say we help them win this fight?"

"Yeah!" Ven agreed taking Levina's hand making his own keyblade appear. He flew towards the pirate ship swinging his keyblade at the sudden hoards of flying Unversed that were in their way.

"You won't be getting' me treasure Pan!" Hook declared swinging his sword at the pirate.

"That's what you think Hook!" Peter swung his sword at the nasty pirate causing the larger man to back up against his ship. The leader of the pirates suddenly quaked in fear noticing the hungry crocodile below him. "Smee!" He shrieked.

"Comin' Captn!" Smee shouted running over to aid his Captain but was suddenly knocked to his feet as Levina swung her keyblade at him landing on the ship with Ven by her side.

"I'll show you what a girl can do!" Levina held her keyblade tightly swinging it at the remaining pirates knocking them down.

Ven smiled watching her fight. Her skills and endurance as a keyblade wielder had definitely improved over course of their adventure. He watched as Levina was thrusting and swinging her keyblade at every pirate that came at her. Hurling a barrage of magical spells and charging at Captain Hook who was fighting Peter Pan.

"Goly!" Chubbly said. "She's really tough!"

"Yeah," Slightly agreed. "Maybe we should let girls in our group!"

Hook continued swinging his sword at Peter, but the boy was too swift for him.

"Give up you old codfish, you won't win!" Peter taunted and suddenly felt his dagger leave his hand as Hook rammed his hook hand into the boy's tunic.

"I've got you now, Pan!" Hook laughed raising his sword. "This time I won't leave you alive!"

"No you don't!" Leavina charged at Hook swinging her keyblade at the pirate that held her captive. She swung her swung her keyblade hard at the pirate shoving him over board off his ship. He had dropped Mickey's Star Shard which was in his pocket. Tinker Bell saw this and quickly flew over grabbing the magical item before it fell into the ocean.

Delighted seeing Hook fall into the water, the crocodile patiently waiting swam over to him hungrily.

"SMEE!" Hook screamed for his life as he swam praying that the crocodile wouldn't eat him.

"Oh dear…!" Smee saw his Captain in distress. "Coming Captn'!" The pudgy pirate dived into the ocean to aid his captain.

"Hooray!" Chubby cheered. "We got the pirates treasure!"

"Yeah, this was fun!" Slightly beamed at the treasure chest beside him.

"That takes care of those awful pirates!" Ven smiled.

Peter looked at Levina. "Guess I was wrong," He admitted. "Girls are good at boy stuff."

Levina smiled. "Told you!" She said to the immature boy. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me before you assume that girls can't do things. We're just as tough as any of you boys!"

Peter looked at Ven. "Do girls always talk that much?" He asked.

Ven rubbed the back of his head. "Well, my friend Terra says they only do when they want to make a point."

"Ven!" Levina pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Ven nervously laughed. "I was only kidding, Levina." He told her afraid she might get mad at him again.

"I guess girls are ok in my book," Peter said and then smiled. "Let's take Hook's treasure back to the hideout!"

* * *

The Lost Boys returned to Peter's hideout with the treasure chest. Ven used his keyblade to open the lock on the treasure chest. To everyone's dismay they saw that the treasure chest was empty.

"Aww!" Chubby pouted. "It's empty!"

"All that for an empty treasure chest!" Slightly groaned.

Ven thought for a moment. "I know!" He told the Lost Boys. "Why don't you fill it with things that are important you?" He suggested.

"Things that are important to us?" Peter asked.

"Yeah!" Ven answered. "That way this treasure chest will be your most prized possession."

Hearing this, the Lost Boys quickly huddled into the hideout grabbing everything they could find.

Levina smiled at Ven. "That was really thoughtful."

Ven felt his cheeks turn a shade of pink but maintained his happy composure. "Thanks…," He stammered. "I'm glad you're ok, I was really worried about you when you were missing," He admitted. "I felt really like I would never see you again, but I wouldn't have stopped trying to find you." He stopped speaking as he felt Levina give his hand a gently squeeze.

"Thanks for coming after me." Levina said to him as she felt her body move towards him. Her lips inches apart from his.

Ven took a step back unsure whether he should kiss her. All his doubts were eradicated as he felt Levina's lips against him. Slowly, very slowly Ven's lips kissed her back and his arms wrapped around her waist.

Levina's arms wrapped around Ven's neck as she softly moaned into his mouth feeling his tongue against her lips. The sensation was incredible. They both parted catching their breaths and smiling at each other.

"We're back!" Chubby called out to them holding a bunch of wooden swords.

"These are our prized possessions!" Slightly said happily dumping the wooden swords into the treasure chest.

"What are you two going to put in?" Peter asked curiously.

"You mean you're letting us put something in the treasure chest?" Ven asked.

"Well yeah, you're part of our team aren't you?" Peter smiled. "Even Levina can put something in."

Levina smiled hearing this and took her cape off. She frowned a little at the hole in the fabric from her first fight with Vanitas.

"Your cape?" Ven asked her.

Levina nodded. "It belonged to my mom," She said hugging her cape gently. "But I need to let go of what happened her. I know now that no matter how dark things are, there's always a bright light shining to bring hope." She placed the cape into the treasure chest smiling at Ven.

Ven smiled making the wooden keyblade that belonged to Terra he used to train with back in his early days of being a keyblade wielder. He placed it into the treasure chest.

Tinker Bell floated towards the treasure chest with Mickey's Star Shard.

"Hold on a second Tink!" Ven said to her taking the Star Shard. "That belongs to a friend of mine, he might need this."

As Ven said this the Star Shard began to glow.

"Whoa!" Ven exclaimed holding onto the Star Shard.

"What's going on?!" Levina shrieked holding on to Ven's hand tightly.

Peter and the Lost Boys watched in astonishment as the Star Shard took their new friends away from the majestic island of Neverland.

* * *

Terra was traveling through the Lanes Between. He felt the darkness inside of his heart had died down since his encounter Hades. He felt as though he could finally become a true Keyblade Master and face Eraqus to give him the title. He felt something inside of chest. A warm light, guiding him to another world, a world that couldn't be seen.

'_This light…,_' Terra thought holding his wayfinder. '_It's so warm…_'

Terra had disembarked his keyblade glider. He had discovered that his glider had led him to an island. A distant island surrounded by nothing, except for ocean for miles filled with palm trees. He saw something floating in the water. On careful inspection he noticed that it was a yellow star-shaped fruit.

"_Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit…_" He heard Aqua's voice echo in his ears remembering what she had said about the wayfinders. Holding the star-shaped fruit in his hand brought a smile to his lips. It was then that Terra realized he had never smiled since his path to conquering the darkness began. The young boy looked around the empty island. He wondered if anyone ever lived here. He saw a wooden bridge that connected this island to a smaller portion where there was tree filled with the strange yellow star-shaped fruit.

'_Aqua…Ven…Levina…,_' Terra thought as he crossed the bridge. '_I wonder if we'll ever be a team again. Looks like all the things that held us together just push us further away and now the light has led me here. What am I supposed to do?_'' As he crossed the bridge he saw signs of life on the island.

There were two little boys playing on the island.

"Hey!" One of the little boys yelled panting to catch his breath running across the bridge. "Wait up!"

"Giving up already?" The other boy taunted as they ran passed Terra. "C'mon Sora, I thought you were faster than this?"

"That's enough!" The small boy named Sora caught his breath. "I can't run anymore!"

The two boys caught their breath sitting on a palm tree branch admiring the ocean in front of them.

Terra smiled seeing how competitive they were towards each other, but they were both carefree children.

'_Light…_,' Terra thought looking at the small boy with silver hair. '_Was I guided here to meet that boy?_' He wondered. He shrugged off the feeling and decided to leave this estranged island.

The small boy named Sora looked over at Terra. "Ahoy!" He called out cheerfully. "We're over here!" He then looked at his friend. "First one to the boat gets to captain!" He challenged and started running over towards the small boats that were docked on the island.

The other boy named Riku, just casually walked following his friend. He was too curious about Terra since he had never seen him before on the island.

"Hey," Riku called out to Terra. "Did you come from the outside world?" He asked curiously.

"Huh?" Terra questioned. "Why would you say that?"

"Because nobody lives out here, and I know you're not from the main island." Riku answered.

"Smart kid," Terra replied. "So what about you? What are you doing out here?"

"My friend's dad took us out on the boat," Riku explained. "This is where we like to play, but our parents won't let us row by ourselves, not till we get older. I just want to see what else is out there."

Terra saw the tiny boy kick the sand with his foot in frustration. "Must be hard, huh, being stuck in one place."

Riku walked over towards the ocean gazing out towards the distance hoping to see something other than clear water. "I heard once there was a kid who left for good," He told Terra and then looked at him. "So how did you get here anyway?"

"Sorry I can't tell you that," Terra answered. "Is there any reason why you're interested in the outside world?" He asked.

"Yeah," Riku replied. "I want to be strong one day." He then saw Sora climbing a small palm tree. He hid a small snicker as he saw his friend tumble down hitting the sand. Sora pouted wiping the tiny tears in his eyes and then tried climbing the palm tree again. "Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world – I'll bet he's really strong now." Riku smiled at Sora's determination. "I know it's out there somewhere – the strength that I need."

"Strength for what?" Terra asked.

"To protect the things that matter," Riku smiled looking at Sora and then set his sea-green eyes on Terra. "You know," He said brightly. "Like my friends."

Terra smiled at the small boy's determination. It reminded him of himself of how he would do anything to keep Aqua, Ven, and Levina safe. "Outside this tiny world, is a much bigger one." He then walked over to the small boy outstretching his hand making his keyblade appear.

Riku's sea-green eyes lit up as he saw the weapon in Terra's hand.

'_If anything happens to me, Aqua, Ven or Levina there won't be anyone left to keep the light safe_,' Terra thought coming to this critical decision. '_I know this little boy will have what it takes to keep the light safe from the darkness_.' He held out his keyblade to Riku and recited, "In your hand take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me friend – no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above. So long as you champion the ones you love."

The small boy outstretched his hand cautiously touching the handle of Terra's keyblade.

"Riku!" Sora called out his friend.

Riku quickly let go of the keyblade and looked over.

"C'mon hurry it up!" Sora smiled waving at his friend.

Terra made his keyblade disappear smiling at the small boy. "You've gotta keep this a secret, okay?" He teased affectionately patting the boy's sliver hair. "Or else the magic will wear off."

Riku nodded running back over to Sora.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Sora asked curiously.

"Aw, you know," Riku replied sneakily.

"Know what?" Sora pouted. "Why won't you tell me?" He asked stomping his tiny foot. "Who was that guy – somebody you know?"

"Maybe.." Riku answered cheekily walking over to the boat.

"Aw there you go again!" Sora continued to pout flailing his tiny hands in the air. "Just tell me!"

"I really can't," Riku told his friend. "I have to keep it a secret."

"Not with me don't!" Sora boasted happily. "I'm like the best secret keeper in the world!"

Terra smiled as Sora continued to pester Riku about what was going on. '_To protect the things that matter…_' He thought and left the lonely island.

* * *

Goofy and Donald paitently waited for their king to return by the steps of the Mysterious Tower.

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "The king must be pretty far away by now."

Donald sighed in dismay wondering if Lira was completing her training with Phil or just flirting with Zack. The two jumped in the air as they saw Mickey's Star Shard crash land.

"King Mickey!" Donald happily exclaimed.

The bright light cleared revealing Ven and Levina on the ground.

"Nope…doesn't look like him," Goofy sighed and then noticed the Star Shard in Ven's hands. "Those fellas have the Star Shard, the king was borrowing." Quickly the knight and mage ran over to the two.

"Hey what's going on?" Ven asked as he was being ushered into the Mysterious Tower.

"We didn't do anything!" Levina said to them thinking they were in trouble.

They ushered the two into Yen Sid's office and saluted at the retired Keyblade Master. He looked at the two children.

"Master Yen Sid!" Levina gasped bowing to the elderly mage remembering Eraqus tell her stories about how he used to train under him.

"Your father has been greatly worried for you, Levina." Yen Sid told her.

Hearing this Levina bit her lip swallowing hard. '_Dad.._.' She thought dismissively.

Ven looked at Levina wondering why she was bowing to him. Yen Sid looked at Ven closely. "Eraqus has told me much about you," He told the small boy. "If I am not mistaken, you were ordered to return home."

"Well sir…I…" Ven stammered trying to figure out what to say to the elderly mage.

"No matter," Yen Sid began. "Mickey has problems following orders as well."

Hearing this Ven brightly smiled.

Goofy took the Star Shard from Ven's hand putting it on the large wooden desk. "With this you can find the king for sure!"

Yen Sid used his profound magical skills using the Star Shard's powers to create an image on the desk. To Donald's and Goofy's shock, they both saw their king lying in the Keyblade Graveyard unconscious.

"The king!" Goofy exclaimed.

"We have to go after him!" Donald said and then looked at Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid, where is he?"

The image suddenly faded away and Yen Sid sighed. "It appears there is something disrupting my magic. There is a dark and powerful force interfering with my magic."

"Just tell us where the king is Master Yen Sid!" Goofy said bravely. "We'll go get him ourselves!"

Yen Sid shook his head. "I am afraid you two would be in adequate."

"But I'm the captain of the king's royal knights!" Goofy said making his shield appear.

"And I'm his mage!" Donald said bravely making his staff appear.

Ven looked at the two. "Hey it's ok I know where King Mickey is," He told them. "I'll go bring him back safe and sound."

"Don't you mean we'll go, Ven?" Levina asked him.

Ven shook his head. "Master Yen Sid's right, I need to take you home." He said to her.

Levina nodded. "Guess you're right," She said to him. "I don't want my Dad to worry than he already is."

Yen Sid looked at the two. "Very well, Ventus," He told the boy sternly. "We leave it to you."

The two children left the Mysterious Tower heading back to the Land of Departure.

Donald and Goofy anxiously hoped that Ven could bring their king back safe and sound.

* * *

**All I have to say is things are about to get real in the next few chapters... **

**Review :) **


	15. Home Coming

**This freaking chapter! All of the damn feels! All of them!**

**I was eagerly waiting to get this chapter but now its like... **

**yeeeah things getting real D: **

* * *

"_I have uncovered the Keyblade's ultimate mystery. You see, besides the three families of Keyblades, there is another "Key Blade." While it may sound the same when spoken, it is notated uniquely: "__χ__-blade." And make no mistake, while it resembles a normal Keyblade, it is something altogether different._

_Keyblades are said to be man-made counterparts to Kingdom Hearts. The __χ__-blade, however, coexists with Kingdom Hearts._

_It is only forged when two hearts of equal power intersect-one heart of pure darkness, one heart of pure light. At the time of its forging, Kingdom Hearts appears. It must be noted, though, that this Kingdom Hearts is special. Unlike the Kingdoms brought about forcibly and artificially through the collection of hearts, THIS Kingdom Hearts is a perfect and complete union of ALL the worlds' hearts. Surely it was over this that the ancient Keyblade War was fought._

_If so, the walls that divide the worlds today are of little consequence. With the __χ__-blade, all their hearts could be instantly reunited-and the Keyblade War, refought." Xehanort Report VII_

Chapter 15 – Home Coming

Aqua roamed the Lanes Between on her keyblade glider. At a distant she could see the various worlds she and her friends had visited earlier being swallowed by the darkness. The light barriers that often protected the worlds from invaders such as the darkness were being shattered. From afar each world's barrier would seem like a harmless meteor shower. Seeing the worlds being engulfed in darkness, Aqua became nervous. Every world she passed was being swallowed a black abyss. She wondered if her home would be like this too.

'_This is horrible…,_' Aqua thought. _'All these worlds are being swallowed by the darkness. Who could do such a horrible thing?_'

She continued to trudge through the Lanes Between careful not to be swallowed by the darkness herself. Suddenly a bright light seeped through the darkness, almost as if it was giving the female keyblade wielder a beckon of hope.

'_What's that bright light?_' She thought as her glider was being pulled into a world which the light barrier was still intact.

Aqua disembarked from her keyblade glider and found herself on the same island which Terra had met Sora and Riku. Aqua smiled at the serene little island surrounded by nothing except for clear blue water.

She then noticed a palm tree with star-shaped fruit. Her smile grew bigger as she saw the star-shaped fruit and took her wayfinder out holding it tightly in her hand.

'_I knew there was a tree with star-shaped fruit_,' she thought happily gazing at her wayfinder. A small frown touched her lips as she could see more light barriers of worlds nearby being destroyed by the darkness in the sky. '_Terra… Ven… Levina…, I hope we're ready for the storm that's coming_.'

Aqua broke out of her thoughts as she heard the sound of children running.

"Hey, wait up!" Sora pouted trying to catch up to Riku.

"Too slow, Sora," Riku teased. "See you at the finish line!"

Sora panted catching his breath as the two children stopped underneath the bridge where Aqua was standing.

"One more time!" Sora told his friend. "You just got lucky."

Riku was about to say something when he saw Aqua standing on the bridge. Sora turned around seeing the female keyblade wielder.

Aqua smiled at them gently and jumped down the bridge causing Sora to back away a little. The two little children adorably stared at Aqua as she smiled at them.

'_This boy looks so sincere_,' Aqua thought as she looked at Riku. '_Just like Terra_,' She then looked at Sora. _'And this one – he has the spitting image of Ven_.' She then remembered meeting Kairi in Radiant Garden. '_That small innocent little girl definitely reminds me of Levina_.' She laughed lightly causing the two boys in front of her to blink in confusion.

"One of you might be special enough," Aqua said to them. "Do you two mind telling me your names?"

Hearing this Sora immediately said happily, "I'm Sora!"

Aqua then looked at Riku. "And you?" She asked.

"Riku." The silver haired boy replied.

It was then that Aqua sensed something from the small boy. The passing of the power of the keyblade. '_Someone has already passed this boy the power, was it Terra?'_ She thought dismissively. She then looked at the two boys. "Sora, is Riku your friend?"

"Of course!" Sora replied happily. "He's my best friend!"

"So then if something happens and Riku is about to get lost – or say he starts wandering down a dark path alone – you make sure to stay with him and keep him safe," Aqua said to the small boy. "That's your job, Sora. I'm counting on you to do it."

The small brunette nodded eagerly, happy that he was given this important job to do. To protect his best friend from harm.

Aqua smiled as she watched the two boys leave to go play some more. She walked over to the palm tree with the star-shaped fruit and sat on the branch. '_I shouldn't have told those children but…,_' she thought tightly holding her wayfinder. '_One keyblade is enough for any friendship. I've learned it the hard way. I would never wish our lives on those children._' She gazed down at her wayfinder hoping that it would show her a right path. _'Terra, please tell me – what's to become of us?_'' It had been so long since she had seen Terra or Ven or Levina. She knew in the pit of her stomach that something dangerous was about to happen. She wasn't sure if she or her friends would make it out alive.

* * *

Ven raced through the Lanes Between with Levina. The more the Land of Departure was close by, the more apprehensive Levina became. She tightly held onto Ven afraid that she would never see him again which caused the boy to stiffen a little.

"It'll be alright," Ven said to her trying to make her smile. "I'll find King Mickey and be back here before you know it."

Levina nodded silently has his keyblade glider touched down back home. The small girl slowly stepped down from the keyblade glider.

Ven smiled at her through this armor, his blue eyes never leaving the gaze of her sweet face. "I promise, everything will be ok." He told her and flew off in search of Mickey.

Levina looked around her home world. She wondered how long it was since she left. How many agonizing hours Eraqus had to wait for her to come back? Thinking if she was alive or not? She lowered her eyes to the floor finally realizing that she shouldn't have made her father worry so much.

"Levina!" Eraqus' voice shot out from the steps causing Levina's heart to skip a beat.

'_Here's where I'm grounded for life._' Levina thought preparing for one of her father's stern lectures about running away from home as she saw him father walking over to her. The small girl tried her hardest to remain strong. She tightly held her yellow wayfinder in her hand fighting the tears that were stinging her brown eyes. She quickly wiped away with the back of her hand.

"Where is Ventus?" Eraqus asked. "Was he not with you?"

"H-He…,"Levina stammered nervously trying to control her tears. "…He said that he would be back." She looked at her father seeing that there was no angry demeanor in his face. "I-I'm sorry I ran off…!" She told him and then began to sob quietly. "I just wanted to prove to you that I was ready to become a Keyblade Master too!"

Seeing his only child cry, Eraqus took the small girl in his arms and hugged her tightly. "It's alright…," He said to her quietly and then sighed. "It was my fault…," He admitted. "I should've realized that you were ready to fight alongside with your friends against the darkness."

Levina sniffled clinging to her father's arms as he took her towards the steps of the castle. There the two sat and Levina told him about her endeavors through different worlds and how she had helped many people.

Hearing her story, Eraqus could not help but smile. He had never been proud of her than he was right now. Sitting beside Eraqus, was a sliver plated pauldron, and attached to it was a bronze piece of suited armor.

"You are ready for the Mark of Mastery," Eraqus said to her. "This was my armor during my training under Master Yen Sid."

Levina stared the shimmering piece armor as her father handed it to her. "This is mine now?" She asked.

Eraqus nodded. "Once Terra, Aqua, and Ventus return, you will be receiving full training under myself and Aqua to become a Keyblade Master."

Overjoyed by this news, Levina happily hugged her father as he placed the pauldron over her forearm like wearing a piece of jewelry. She was ready to take the Mark of Mastery.

* * *

Ven arrived in the Keyblade Graveyard. He gasped as he saw Mickey on the ground unconscious. The boy sprinted over kneeling beside the fallen mouse checking if he was still alive. Mickey replied with weak groans as Ven lifted him up gently.

'_Who could have done this to him?_' Ven thought worriedly.

"We meet again, boy." Xehanort's voice echoed from behind him.

Ven slowly turned around as Xehanort slowly approached him.

"Master…Xehanort…" Ven said slowly. He suddenly gasped as flashes of memories flooded his head. He had been with the old master before he arrived at the Land of Departure. The pain was too much for Ven to bear. He sank to his knees holding his head yelling out in agony.

Xehanort saw this and a devilish smirk rose upon his lips. "Ah yes, you are starting to realize…," He began enjoying Ven squirming in pain. "What you lost – oh, but not for good. You had to lose in order to find. Now it can all be yours again, if you only reach out and take it. Reclaim the part that left you. Clash with him! Pure light against pure darkness, to forge the ultimate key. The all-powerful – X-blade!"

The pain inside Ven's head became intensified as Xehanort spoke. He let out an anguish cry of pain before falling to the ground.

"Key….blade…" Ven muttered while lying on the ground.

"Not the keyblades you and I carry," Xehanort told him. "X" a most ancient letter. Death… A letter that spells endings." The powerful Keyblade Master outstretched his hands opening a gaping hole of darkness leading towards the Lanes Between.

Ven gasped for air regaining movement in his body. "And I have the power to make it?" He asked. '_I'll be putting everyone in danger…_' He thought.

"Correct," Xehanort told him. "Eraqus knows it too. He knows exactly what you are."

"The Master?" Ven questioned. '_Does Levina also know what I really am too?_' He thought.

"Haven't you ever wondered? Why he never granted you permission to leave his side, to grow stronger?" Xehanort asked the boy.

'_He's right…,"_ Ven thought.

"Eraqus was frightened of you," Xehanort said to him. "If you were to learn the truth, and realize what you are…"

'_Master Eraqus…why would you…?_' The doubtful thoughts continued racing through the boy's mind.

"He never trusted you," Xehanort continued venomously filling Ven's thoughts with doubt. "Why else would he keep you within his sights at all times?"

That was all that Ven needed to hear. "Yeah," He said. "He never let me see other worlds, no matter how many times I asked."

Using his profound powers Xehanort heaved the weakened and confused boy into the dark rift above. "You can ask the man yourself," He told Ven. "Learn the truth, and remember you have a greater purpose!"

Mickey was also caught into the rift. The unconscious mouse was now floating in the Lanes Between as Ven made quickly made his armor appear around him. The pain in his head was becoming greater and greater.

'_What am I?_' Ven thought completely confused. _'What has the Master been keeping from me all this time?_' He got on his glider and raced to the Land of Departure.

* * *

Terra was on his way back to the Land of Departure too. He saw Ven's keyblade glider racing towards their home world. '_Is that Ven?_' He thought and then suddenly heard Xehanort mentally calling to him.

"_Master Terra…_," Xehanort words echoed in Terra's mind. "_We must speak at once_," He ordered. "_Find me in the Keyblade Graveyard_."

Terra obliged his Master's request and headed to the Keyblade Graveyard. Once there he saw Xehanort standing in the barren wasteland below.

"Master Xehanort, you wished to see me?" Terra asked.

"There is no time to lose!" The old master said to the youth putting on an incredible act to dupe the boy once more into his plans. "Ventus has discovered the truth about his origins."

"I just saw him," Terra said. "He passed right in front of me. What happened?"

"Ventus is on his way home," Xehanort began putting more lies into the boy's head. "If you could have seen the fury in his eyes and the anger raging inside his heart. I am certain he is capable of anything. I fear the boy may attempt to force the truth out of Eraqus," He told him.

'_Ven going up against the Master?_' Terre thought in concern. '_There's no way he'll be able to best Master Eraqus in battle_.'

"Master Terra you must see to your friend's safety." Xehanort said.

"Of course." Terra nodded and hurried back to the Land of Departure.

Xehanort smirk grew as he saw the foolish boy heading back home. '_If Terra won't dispose of you, old friend_.' He thought referring to Eraqus. '_I certainly will._'

* * *

Levina sat by the steps waiting for Ven to come back. Eraqus had gone back inside to speak with Yen Sid about some of the various worlds being engulfed in darkness. She stared at the plated armor on her arm whole-heartedly smiling. Her smile grew as she saw Ven's keyblade glider arriving.

"Ven! You aren't going to believe this! My Dad's letting me train to be a Keyblade Master!" Levina cried out happily running over to him. She stopped noticing the look in Ven's eyes. They were filled with so much anger and confusion. "Ven…?" She asked him. "Are you alright?"

"Move Levina…" Ven said to her trying really hard to keep his anger under control.

"What?" Levina was appalled. "What's wrong?" She reached out to her friend with her hand, but stopped half way as she saw Ven making his Wayward Wind keyblade appear. He did not hold it like he normally did. This time he was pointing his keyblade at her.

"I said move…!" Ven told her.

Levina backed away. '_What's wrong with you, Ven?_'' She thought completely disheartened.

Ven felt horrible for what he had just done and made his keyblade disappear. He looked up seeing Eraqus walking over to them.

"Ventus, you're alone," Eraqus said to him. "I thought Aqua would bring you home." He held the small boy's shoulders. "Well what matters is that you're home now. You don't belong outside this world yet. You need to stay here and learn –" Eraqus' words were cut off as Ven spoke.

"In your prison!?" Ven spat out balling his fists.

Levina watched as Ven became angrier and angrier at her father.

"What?!" Eraqus exclaimed.

"That's your excuse…!" Ven told him. "For keeping me imprisoned here isn't it?!"

"What did you hear?" Eraqus demanded.

"That I'm supposed to be some kind of weapon!" Ven yelled making a motion to make his keyblade appear again. "Some kind of 'X-blade'!"

"X-blade..?" Levina repeated and then gasped in horror remembering reading about the X-blade in one of the books in the library before the Mark of Mastery began.

Realizing Ven had learned the truth, Eraqus knew very well that Xehanort was behind this all. "I knew it…," Eraqus said. "Xehanort, he could never let it go..."

* * *

_It was years ago when Xehanort had learned the truth about the X-blade and the Keyblade Wars. The two would often debate and have many confrontations over this information. _

"_Wait, Xehanort," Eraqus called out to his friend as he retreated from the training hall. "There is a reason why the precepts bar us from such knowledge." He told him. "Why do you seek the X-blade? Would you blanket all the worlds in darkness? Reduce them to nothing?!" _

"_But darkness did cover the world once," Xehanort replied. "In legend. We know so little about the Keyblade War – only that it was just the beginning. Admist that crisis a precious light was found," He then turned towards Eraqus. "It is a curious tale – and one worth exploring," He continued on. "They say ruin brings about creation. So what then would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers!" He said greedily. "The X-blade needs to be forged and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked!" _

_Eraqus could no longer hear anymore. He understood that this person, this person that he had trained alongside with to become Keyblade Masters was no longer his friend, but an enemy who must be stopped._

"_Fool…You would risk an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity?!" Eraqus demanded to know. "I will never allow it, Xehanort! Not while I live!" _

"_But once again you have it all wrong, Eraqus," Xehanort told him. "Darkness is a beginning you see, not an end. At birth every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light, do we not?" _

"_Poetic excuses!" Eraqus glared angrily watching his former friend retreat from him. He balled his fists making his keyblade appear in a blazing apparition of pure light. "If words won't dissuade you, only one thing will!" The Keyblade Master ran at Xehanort tightly grasping his keyblade in hand. _

_Xehanort turned outstretching his hand making his keyblade appear in a deadly wave of darkness. He was easily able to knock Eraqus down with two simple blasts of pure darkness scarring his face. _

"_That power…," Eraqus groaned as he struggled to stand. "Has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?!" He yelled. _

"_Not your concern." Xehanort told him and walked away. _

* * *

"I failed once before," Eraqus said touching the permanent scars against his face from his last encounter with Xehanort. "But I will _not_ fail again!" He declared making his keyblade appear.

Levina stared at her father in shock. "Dad what are you doing?!"

"The X-blade has no place in this or any world," Eraqus replied. " Xehanort has made his purpose clear and I am left with no choice! You must exist no more!"

"Dad no!" Levina yelled realizing what was going on. "You can't hurt Ven!" She yelled getting in between them. "He's my friend…!"

"He is not your friend, Levina!" Eraqus told her. "He is a weapon, a weapon that Xehanort cannot get his hands on!" He looked at his daughter. "Now step aside!"

"I won't!" Levina shouted. "He might be some killer weapon to you, but he's friend!" She yelled catching her breath. "And…I love him…"

Ven's jaw dropped hearing Levina say that he loved her.

"Levina…" Ven said feeling his heart ache as he said her name because of how confused he felt inside. He then looked at her. "Levina, you can't love me," He said to her. "I'll end up destroying you, Terra, Aqua, everyone." He felt Levina embrace him hugging him tightly.

"I don't care," Levina whispered laying her head against his shoulder. "You're my friend and not some weapon and I'll do anything to keep you safe."

Eraqus' heart became enraged allowing darkness to invade his pure heart. "You leave me with no choice then…" He unleashed a devastating fury of light at the two.

Ven held Levina tightly against him knowing well enough that she wouldn't move from his side. '_This is all my fault…,_' He thought shutting his eyes.

"Master stop!" They both heard Terra yell.

"What?" Eraqus became more enraged.

"Have you gone mad?!" Terra yelled at him. "Attacking your own daughter!"

"Terra! I command you – step aside!" Eraqus ordered.

"No!" Terra said to him holding his keyblade tightly.

"You won't heed your, Master?!" Eraqus asked.

"I won't!" Terra spat back.

Eraqus shook his head in dismay, completely distraught at everything that had happened. "Why do all my attempts to reach you fail…," He said to Terra. "If you have it in your heart to obey…," He felt a tear roll down his cheek realizing that the only way to get to Ven and make sure the X-blade could not be forged was to get through Terra and Levina. "You will have to share Ventus' fate!"

"Dad…" Levina watched as Terra guarded the two of them clashing with his Master's keyblade.

"Terra!" Ven yelled. "Stop, he's right!"

"Quiet!" Terra yelled continuing to battle his Master.

"But Terra…" Ven frowned.

Terra looked at Eraqus, the darkness that once kept at bay inside his heart was blooming again. There was no way to stop it this time. "You may be my Master!" He yelled. "But I will not let you hurt my friends!"

Eraqus saw the dark aura around his former student. "Has the darkness taken you, Terra?!"

Terra tried his hardest to control the darkness in his heart, but this push was all it took for him to finally succumb to it.

"Terra…!" Levina shouted.

The older boy opened a rift through the Lanes Between and he looked at Levina.  
"Get Ven out of here now!" He ordered her.

"But…" Levina frowned as she watched Terra and Eraqus trade blows with their keyblades once more. She looked at Ven taking his hand leading him to the rift to the only world still intact with light, Destiny Islands.

* * *

The two teens fell through the light rift onto the beach.

"I'm going back." Levina said pushing the armor against her arm making her keyblade armor appear. She climbed on her silver armored glider heading back home to the Land of Departure.

"Levina…wait…!" Ven protested wanting to follow her.

"Going somewhere?" Vanitas asked the boy.

Ven bitterly scowled as he turned around seeing the masked boy. "I'm through with you!" He yelled walking away.

"You're strong enough now to full-fill your purpose," Vanitas said to him. "So what are you waiting for? Join with me here and now. Become the X-blade."

Ven looked away from his darker half. "No," He said. "I won't do it. Master Xehanort said the only way the X-blade can be forged is if you and I fight! Well guess what? I'm not fighting."

"You used to be too broken to talk back." Vanitas sneered.

Ven suddenly felt the same pain in his head that he had been feeling for a while now. He was starting to remember how Vanitas came to be.

* * *

_Within that wasteland near the Keyblade Graveyard, Ventus was surrounded by a group of heartless._

"_Please don't do this, Master! I'm not strong enough." Keyblade in hand, Ventus cried out in fright. From above, gazing down from the cliff's edge, his master, Xehanort, stood watching._

"_No, it is because you are trying to hold it in. Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now! Sharpen your fear into rage! You must!" Xehanort shouted to Ventus. "If you do not let the storm within you run its course, it will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake! Do it! Embrace the darkness! Produce for your master the X-blade!"_

_A heartless came in for an attack. Ventus barely managed to hold off the strike._

_However, when they saw their chance, the heartless assaulted Ventus all at once. The black mass of heartless clung onto Ventus, his body disappearing from sight._

"_Ventus!" Xehanort shouted, jumping from the cliff while summoning his keyblade. One of the heartless vanished from sight._

_When they heard Ventus' name cried out, the heartless noticed Xehanort. Realizing he was the greater enemy, they lost interest in Ventus at once and surrounded Xehanort._

_It was too late for Ventus, who collapsed with a thud and was unconscience. As his eyes closed, Xehanort preceeded to annihilate the gang of heartless._

_After he brought down all the heartless, Xehanort slowly stepped toward Ventus' collapsed form._

"_Really? You would rather die than use the power? Feckless neophyte." Xehanort said to the unconscious boy bitterly. _

_Xehanort lightly kicked Ventus, turning his body over so he would be face up. For a moment he stared into his face while he thought. Coming to his decision, he once more summoned the keyblade and thrust it deep into Ventus' chest. A light shot out from his chest and his eyes snapped open._

"_If I must... I will extract the darkness from within you myself."_

_Ventus' chest emitted a bright light, from which rose a pitch black figure._

_Within the large, dark egg-like sphere appeared a boy in a black combat suit and mask holding his knees like an infant._

_Simultaneously, the light in Ventus' eyes faded._

_The boy slowly straightened his body. Landing on the ground, he gazed at Xehanort._

_He didn't know what kind of person this man was. Neither did he know who the figure lying on the ground was._

_Looking at him, he felt a bit sad._

'_Why should I be sad?' Vanitas thought._

"_Empty creature from Ventus' riven... to you, the name Vanitas shall be given."_

"_Yes, Master." Vanitas said. _

_When hearing the reply from the masked boy he dubbed Vanitas, Xehanort laughed._

"_Now - I suppose I should go." Xehanort replied. _

"_Where?" Vanitas asked curiously._

"_To take Ventus to his resting place. I will be back soon. Do whatever you like." Xehanort said to his new creation._

_With Ventus' unconscious body in his arms, Xehanort walked away._

_The strong winds blew through dreary land. Vanitas vacantly stared at his own feet. And then he looked up into the sky. The sky was overcast and dreary._

_He stared at his hand. He firmly grasped with his fist. At once a large key appeared._

_He swung it once. From inside his mask, Vanitas laughed._

_The fleeting emotion made Vanitas close his eyes. This is a memory from Ventus' heart. And when I feel this white fear, a tremendous power is born._

_So, the way Xehanort said it, my fear can grow into rage and then it becomes power. However, if this power is to be born from what I feel now, I'll need something more._

'_Why is it when I was born I knew that?' Vanitas thought emotionlessly. _

_A heart of darkness. A vessel of negative emotions._

_From Vanitas' body rose a dark figure. Vanitas silently looked up at the creature. The shadow like figure had two red eyes that glowed, a monster in the making._

"_Unversed." He said. _

_When Vanitas raised his hand to grab it, as though it were enjoying itself, the unversed spun a circle around him._

'_This is my emotion. You could say it's a very immature creature' Vanitas thought hating on the creatures that came from him._

'_I suppose if you could call this a living thing, these inexperienced unversed are merely made of broken fragments of myself.'_

_Vanitas summoned his keyblade swung downward at the unversed. In an instant the unversed vanished from the sudden strike._

* * *

"Fine," Vanitas said to the struggling boy as Ven continued holding his head in pain. "I'll give you a reason to fight.

Ven shook the pain from his head and looked at his darker half.

"Come and find me," Vanitas dared. "At the one and only place to forge the X-blade…The Keyblade Graveyard – There you're going to see me choke the life out of your pitiful friends, Terra, Aqua, and that girl you're so fond of." He then produced something out of the darkness. It was his wooden keyblade that he left behind in Neverland. The one Terra had given him years ago. "I think I'll break her little neck like this," He threatened snapping the wooden keyblade in two with his hands dropping the remnants of the keyblade to the ground where Ven was standing.

Ven hatefully glared at Vanitas. "I'm not letting you hurt Levina or my friends!" He snarled.

Vanitas smirked underneath his helmet. "Then we'll see how long you'll play the pacifist." He said and left the small island.

"Wait!" Ven yelled trying to get after him, but he couldn't. The boy stared at his wayfinder in his hand. '_I won't let him hurt any of you_.' He thought. '_I swear it_.'

* * *

Levina raced back to the Land of Departure on her keyblade glider. Once reaching her home, to her horror she saw that Eraqus was weakened from his fight with Terra.

Terra made his keyblade disappear. He felt horrible for what he had done to his Master.

"Master…I…," Terra began. "I'm sorry…I…I just wanted to keep Ven safe…"

"No…," Eraqus replied weakly. "You were right…" He said to his pupil. "I've failed you all…" He admitted.

Hearing this Terra shook his head as he approached his Master slowly, afraid he might collapse at any moment.

"Perhaps I've no one to blame, but myself for the darkness inside you," Eraqus told him. "And now I've done worse…Raising my keyblade against you, Ventus and Levina…my own heart is darkness…"

"Dad…!" Levina cried out rushing over to him.

Both Terra and Eraqus looked up seeing the girl above their heads on her keyblade glider. Levina touched down to the ground relinquishing her armor to the ground as she ran to her father. She stopped running as she saw her father getting stabbed in the back by Xehanort.

"Master Xehanort…?!" Levina gasped in horror as she saw Eraqus's keyblade drop to the ground as he faded away into fragments of pure light.

"NO!" Levina screamed feeling tears streaming down her cheeks.

Terra had his head bowed silently crying. "Master Xehanort….why?" He choked out.

"The man was bent on doing harm to your friend, his own pupil!" Xehanort told him.

"You killed him!" Levina shouted, but was stopped by Terra from saying anything further.

"Get out of here…" Terra said to her.

"No! I'm not going leave, while the man responsible for killing my father is right there!" Levina protested.

"You won't stand a chance against him," Terra said to her. "Go find Ven and Aqua!"

"Terra…" Levina sniffled wiping the tears from my eyes with her hand. She grabbed keyblade armor from the ground leaving the Land of Departure.

Xehanort watched as Levina left. He would deal with her shortly as well as the rest of Terra's friends. He turned his attention back to the boy in front of him. "I find your progress most striking at times," He said to the youth. "But you still have yet to channel all that darkness. Let all that anger out my boy. Give your heart over to the darkness!"

"What do you mean?!" Terra demanded realizing all this time that he was being played as a fool in front of the one person he thought could help him control the darkness inside his heart.

"Still so blind…," Xehanort replied. "Then I will make you see. Come to the place where all keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate – the Keyblade Graveyard," He told the boy making his keyblade appear from pure darkness. "There you will see your dear friends meet their ends!" With all the great power he had, Xehanort engulfed the Land of Departure into complete and utter darkness before leaving.

Terra held his keyblade tightly. "Aqua…Ven…Levina…," He said to them. "I'll fix this. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you."

* * *

Aqua continued traveling through the Lanes Between. Something inside her heart was telling her that something was terribly wrong. To her surprise, she saw Mickey floating in the Lanes Between. She quickly rode over to him taking the unconscious mouse in her arms.

"M-Master…Yen Sid…," The mouse moaned.

'_Master Yen Sid?'_ Aqua thought. '_He's in the Mysterious Tower_.' Quickly she raced to the Mysterious Tower carrying Mickey in her arms. Once there Donald and Goofy jumped at the sight of their unconscious king.

Yen Sid was looking out the window. He had sensed everything that was going on.

"Aqua," The wise mage said to her. "The stars bring me grave news," He said sadly. "Master Eraqus' star has blinked out." It was his words for saying, that Eraqus was dead.

Hearing this horrible news, Aqua felt her heart fall to her stomach. "The Master?!" She gasped horrified. "But how – Who is responsible?!"

"Master Xehanort…and Terra." Yen Sid said to her.

"NO!" Aqua screamed banging her fists on the wooden desk. "That's absurd!" She yelled at the high mage. "Terra would never!"

Yen Sid sighed in dismay. "I hope with all my heart that you are right about your friend," He said to her. "There are some things even the stars cannot tell me."

"Where is he?!" Aqua demanded to know. "Where can I find Terra!?"

"Terra's heart and the rest of your friends are leading them to the ancient Keyblade Graveyard, where wielders of those weapons once waged war." Yen Sid told her.

Aqua bowed to him respectfully. "I'll go see if it's true." She said and left the Mysterious Tower clinging to her wayfinder.

Yen Sid looked at Mickey who was still unconscious. '_I pray that your chosen one will be ready to face the darkness._' He thought watching four stars slowly shining brightly.

* * *

**THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS! Freaking Xehanort -_- Square Enix just give us KH 3 already! **

**Smh... This is the beginning of the end for the Birth By Sleep story line ..but that doesn't mean this fic will be over any time soon... **

**Review :) **


	16. Last Bastion of Free Will

**This is it guys! The beginning of the end to the Birth By Sleep storyline! Make sure you read every tiny piece of information that I have!**

**Feels the effing feels! They are everywhere! **

* * *

_"Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will become real._" - Xehanort Report XII

Chapter 16 – Last Bastion of Free Will

Mickey groaned finally waking up in the Mysterious Tower. He saw his loyal companions, Donald and Goofy looking down at him worriedly.

"Your Majesty!" Donald said happily.

"You're alright!" Goofy added in relief.

The small king sat up rubbing his head. "How did I end up back here?" He asked.

"Aqua brought you here," Yen Sid told him not taking his gaze off from the window. He then turned to mouse. "I fear something dire is about to take place."

Hearing this Mickey instantly jumped up making his Star Seeker keyblade appear in his hand. "It's gotta be Master Xehanort!" The small king accused. "He's the one who's been responsible for spreading darkness to all the worlds!" He then looked at Donald and Goofy. "Fellas, ya gotta brng Lira back here! She must've finished her training by now."

"But, Gawrsh your majesty," Goofy protested. "Do ya think she's ready to fight the darkness?"

"She better be!" Donald huffed. "I didn't train her for nothing!" He then turned to his king. "But what are you going to do?"

Mickey tightened his gloved fist around the handle of his keyblade. "I need to help my friends." He thought of Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Levina. They would definitely need all the help they could get in stopping Master Xehanort.

"I am afraid I cannot allow that." Yen Sid spoke.

"What?" Mickey asked confused looking up at his Master.

"There have been several occasions where you left your training to become a Keyblade Master during your Mark of Master," Yen Sid told him.

"But…" Mickey frowned. "Master Yen Sid…I'm sorry…" The small mouse bowed his head.

"Your heart is in the right place Mickey," Yen Sid said to him. "But stealing one of my most valuable magical items cannot be overlooked." He heavily sighed seeing Mickey's saddened face. He was determined to help his friends. "Once you return, you must relinquish the Star Shard and your keyblade to me."

Donald and Goofy exchanged nervous glances as they looked at their king.

Mickey looked at the Star Seeker keyblade in his hand looking at his master. "I'm not gonna fail you this time!" The tiny mouse held his Star Shard in the air. The Star Shard brightly lit the room and the brave king disappeared in a flash.

"Come on Goofy." Donald instructed his friend heading to the gummi ship outside.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how strong Lira's gotten." Goofy pondered while getting into the gummi ship.

Donald pressed the warp drive button on the gummi ship heading to the Olympus Coliseum.

* * *

"C'mon kid! Give it all you've got!" Phil instructed Hercules. He and Zack watched as Lira and Hercules were sparring with each other.

"But Phil!" Hercule protested while dodging Lira's sword swings. "I don't want to hurt her!"

"Come on Herc!" Zack said to him. "Don't hold back!"

"You're just saying that because she wiped the floor with you about a dozen times in trainin' rookie!" Phil teased.

Zack modestly shrugged. "Hey she's impressive," He said while watching Lira try to use every arsenal of magic she had at her disposal to knock the demi-god down.

Hercules smiled. "Give up?" He asked the small girl.

Lira huffed catching her breath holding the hilt of her sword tightly. "Not on your life…!" She declared launching herself at demi-God.

Hercules saw Lira lunging at him and grabbed the girl by her waist.

"H-Hey!" Lira squeaked. "Put me down!" She yelled irritated.

"You should've just given up when you had the chance." Hercules told her lifting the tiny girl in the air and then tossing her across the arena.

Seeing Lira getting thrown like a rag doll, Zack quickly sprinted over to her.

"Are you ok?" Zack asked gesturing his hand out to her.

"I'm…fine…!" Lira grumbled under her breath. She softly smiled taking Zack's hand.

The older boy pulled her up draping his arm around her waist. Feeling Zack's arm around her waist, Lira's face flushed red.

"Nothing seems to be broken," Zack said looking her over making sure she was ok.

Lira dreamily stared at Zack as the boy was checking her for injuries. She then regained her fighting composure and shoved Zack away from her.

"I'm fine!" She huffed walking over to a pile of barrels. Using gravity magic, the small girl heaved the barrels at Hercules. "See if you like this!"

"What the?!" Hercules panicked getting pummeled in the face by the barrels. "Hey! Cut it out!" He screamed.

The demi-god crashed to the arena floor as the barrels kept on hitting him.

Phil face palmed. "I knew you still needed more training!" He yelled at Hercules. "No son of Zeus is gonna get beaten by a little girl!" He then looked at Lira. "You did good kid! You'll be an honorary hero in no time flat!"

Lira smiled looking at Zack. "M-Maybe… you could come with me." She stammered.

"Go with you? Where?" Zack asked curiously.

"To help King Mickey and his friends." Lira beamed. "We'd make a great team together!"

Zack charmingly smiled at the small girl. "I think we would make a good team," He replied high fiving her.

Lira smiled at the older boy eagerly wanting to leave the training sessions and just run off with him.

"Whoa! Hold your horses!" Phil spat at them. "I didn't say anything about being a team together!"

"Aw come on Phil," Hercules said to his trainer. "Let them train together."

"If you think, I'm gonna let two of my students run off like there's a toga sale in Thebes…." Phil stopped speaking as he and the others saw an ominous dark cloud slowly hovering over the arena.

Hercules ran over to the coliseum gates taking a peek of the outside world. He saw everything blanketed in darkness.

"Something's wrong out there…" Hercules said nervously.

"I'll bet its Hades again!" Zack growled in frustration remembering how the Lord of the Underworld was controlling him.

"Don't think so, kid," Phil began. "I doubt Hades would be starting any trouble now. Besides this is something bigger than even the Gods."

"I'm not standing around waiting to see what's going to happen!" Zack said determinedly. "I'm heading out there!"

Lira watched in horror as she saw Zack run to the gates. "Zack! Wait!" She called out to him trying to trail after him. She stopped as she saw the gummi ship. "Donald! Goofy!"

"Lira, c'mon!" Donald told her.

"Hurry!" Goofy yelled. "The darkness is gettin' closer!"

"But…" Lira frowned as she looked forward to the endless abyss of darkness. She couldn't make out Zack at all in the darkness. She sighed dramatically boarding the gummi ship. '_I wonder if he'll be ok._' She thought as the gummi ship headed back to the Mysterious Tower.

* * *

Levina was the first to touch down on the Keyblade Graveyard. She dismounted her glider. In the distance she could see Terra's, Ven's, and Aqua's keyblade gliders. They looked like little twinkling stars from where she stood. Stars which would never shine again.

The young teen outstretched her hand making her keyblade appear. Her Starlight keyblade. The pastel blue color on the guard while the handle itself is a deep indigo. The "blade" is a light-blue metal bar with a spike and a star at the end of the bar the same color. A gold rain guard is at the bottom of the bar. The Keychain is a gold star and it is attached to the hilt of the keyblade with a silver chain.

Levina sighed deeply. "I'll be strong for my friends." She trudged along the path holding her keyblade tightly. She came across the crossroads where she saw thousands upon thousands of various keyblades. There was no one else here.

The young teen lowered her eyes and something caught her gaze. A letter in a bottle. The girl kneel ed down picking it up. She saw that the letter was addressed to Master Xehanort. She carefully opened the cork of the bottle taking the small piece of rolled parchment. She instantly recognized the writing. It was Eraqus' hand writing.

'_Why would Dad write a letter to Master Xehanort?_' She thought. She started reading the letter. Seeing the writing on the piece of paper it almost felt as though her father was still with her. She could still hear his stern voice as she read.

"_Xehanort,_

_Much time has passed but I hope once you read the words I have put down you will find it within yourself to end this madness. You were my dearest friend during the days of our youth and it pains me to see you on this path of darkness. Turn away from it while you still can. Stop seeking the X-blade. I am here to aid you in whatever way possible as is Master Yen Sid. As much as I care for our former friendship I will not hesitate to stand against you if your actions bring my daughter Levina in danger. If you continue to seek the path of darkness, I ask you to please spare her life. Spare Levina, she is all that I have left in the world. – Eraqus." _

Levina stared at the letter. She held it tightly clasped together in her hands as tears stung her eyes. She realized now that her father was gone; her life was meaningless to Xehanort. Her breath became haggard and short. What was she doing here? She could die at any given moment. It was then at that moment that the fear of dying and losing her life struck her fragile mind. The girl sank to her knees sobbing uncontrollably.

"I don't want to fight…!" She yelled. "I'm too afraid…!" She sniffed thinking of what Xehanort or what the darkness would do to her. "I don't want to die!" She continued to cry hugging her father's armor. "Why'd you have to leave me Dad…?!" She whimpered trying to control herself. "I'm not…," She caught her breath. "I'm not ready for this…" She cried.

The teen wiped her tears away as she heard footsteps approach her. Nervously, Levina held onto her keyblade thinking it was Master Xehanort. She turned around seeing that it was only Terra.

"T-Terra…" Levina stammered trying to regain control of her emotions. "Did you…?" She asked hopefully. "Defeat Master Xehanort?"

Terra simply shook his head. "I didn't have the chance to," The older boy squeezed his fists. "Our home is trapped in darkness now. He was just using me this whole time!" He lowered his head. "It's my fault Master Eraqus is gone now." The older teen was suddenly struck down. The boy looked up seeing Levina pointing her keyblade at him.

"You're the reason!" Levina spat at him. "Everyone warned you about the darkness! But you just kept creeping closer to it!" The girl raised her keyblade again feeling as if the darkness had taken her heart at that very moment. She felt a soft but firm hand grab her hand. She looked back and saw Aqua.

Aqua looked at Terra. Her soft blue eyes flickered with anger at what she had heard, but she could not take it upon herself to act like Levina.

"I was told…," Aqua sighed. "The Master was struck down."

Terra got up from the ground looking away from her. "That's right," He said. "I was stupid enough to help Xehanort do it!"

Hearing this, the anger in Aqua's eyes faded. She was too shocked to stay angry at him.

"The Master – he tried to hurt Ven," Terra told her. "He put Levina in danger. I only fought because I wanted to protect them," The older boy balled his fists. "But I was tricked. Xehanort set the whole thing up – all so he could wake the darkness inside me," He then turned to Aqua. "You were right Aqua – and so was the Master, I did need to be watched. I went astray, but more…!" He looked at the small girl Aqua held in her arms afraid Levina might attack him again. "I can only ask for your forgiveness Levina."

Levina looked at the older teen. Still angry at him for everything he had done and not listening to anyone. However, she realized that none of it was his fault. This was all Master Xehanort's fault.

"I'm sorry too," Levina said to him. "For getting angry at you and knocking you down." She held her Starlight keyblade in her hand. "I almost felt the darkness was about to consume my heart too."

Aqua lowered her head. "What is darkness?" She asked them. "But hate and rage? Xehanort is feeding the dark fires within you, Terra – making you fight," The female keyblade could feel the tears in her eyes. "You'll go astray again," She looked at him. "Tell me – how does that honor our Master's memory, Terra?"

Terra sighed. "I have to fight," He told her. "I have to fight to protect you, Levina, and Ven. It's the only way I can clear my conscious over all the damage that I helped Xehanort cause."

"Terra…" Aqua frowned.

Levina looked over to the other path. Her brown eyes sparkled happily as she saw Ven walking over. She frowned seeing that he seemed upset about something.

"Ven…." Levina called out to him.

The small boy lowered his head looking at his friends. "Xehanort wants me and Vanitas to fight, and make some kind of 'X-blade' – but Master Eraqus said we can't let that happen and he tried to destroy me for it."

"X-blade?" Aqua asked.

"I still don't know exactly what it is," Ven answered. "But it scares me to death," He told his friends touching his chest where his fractured heart is. "Even just thinking about it," He sighed. "It scares me to death

Terra was the first to walk over to the small boy. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Relax Ven," He reassured him. "We're here and we're gonna take care of you."

"I may have to fight Vanitas after all," Ven said to them fighting the tears in his eyes. "I-I don't want him to hurt any of you." He let a tear escape his eyes. "If I do…guys…,"

"The four of us can never be torn apart, all right?" Terra kept reassuring the small boy. "I'll always find away." He squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Terra's right, Ven," Aqua said affectionately touching the boy's cheek.

"We'll keep you safe." Levina told him hugging the boy gently.

Ven slowly removed Aqua's hand away from his cheek and shoved Terra's hand off his shoulder. He moved back from Levina's embrace. He looked up at them and said, "I'm asking you as a friend…just…," He looked at his friends hoping they would oblige his plea. "Erase me."

Levina shook her head. "No!" She cried embracing the boy again, this time tighter. "I'm won't do that!" She buried her head into Ven's chest sobbing lightly. "I love you..." She whispered.

Ven stroked the girl's hair gently pulling her away. "I love you too…," He told her and then looked away. "But there's no way I'd want to hurt you or Terra and Aqua."

The four friends suddenly turned around. They saw Vanitas and Master Xehanort stalking towards them. They glared at the old man as he approached them.

"Behold…," Xehanort ushered his hand towards the various keys that were in the midst of the Keyblade Graveyard. "These lifeless keys used to be full of power – united with the hearts of their masters. On this barren soil, Keyblades of light and darkness were locked in combat…as a great Keyblade War raged. Countless keyblade wielders gave up their lives, all in search of one, ultimate key," The old man pointed his gloved finger towards Ven. "And it will soon belong to me… X-blade!"

Together the four friends tapped the armor brandishing their signature Keyblade Armor and wielder their signature Keyblades in their hand. This would be the last time they would be together. The last time they would fight.

* * *

Ven made a motion to run at Xehanort, but Terra pushed him aside and ran at the old master and Vanitas.

The old master used his profound magical skills unearthing the ground below Terra. This caught Terra off guard and the boy fell over watching Xehanort escaping.

"Ven!" Aqua called to him as she saw Vanitas using the dead keyblades in the graveyard as a weapon. Ven's darker half plunged the keyblades at the unsuspecting boy causing him to fall over.

"Ven, no!" Levina ran at Vanitas swinging her keyblade trying her hardest to overpower him. Like an expert, Vanitas continued riding the keyblades almost like a glider which kept on flinging keyblades upon keyblades at his opponents knocking them over. He jumped off the stream of keyblades making his Void Gear keyblade appear striking Levina's Starlight keyblade.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Vanitas taunted the girl.

"No, but I won't let you hurt Ven anymore!" Levina screamed colliding her keyblade with his. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back. She saw something piercing her shoulder where her armor was. It was one of the keyblades Vanitas was using from the graveyard. She screamed in anguish as more keyblades flew at her armor causing it to crack and break.

"Levina!" Ven shouted who was with Aqua trying to help her up.

Levina fell back into Ven's arms as he quickly ran over catching her. To his horror, Ven saw a trickle of blood against her back where the keyblades had pierced her armor.

Aqua caught her breath and looked up seeing Terra fighting Xehanort. Vanitas soon joined his Master and used the various keyblades to knock Terra over.

"Terra!" Aqua yelled raising her Rainfall keyblade in the air. A shield of light appeared around Terra safely making him land to the ground.

Ven glared through his armor at Xehanort who was enjoying their suffering. "I'll make him pay!" The boy seethed setting Levina down.

* * *

Aqua ran over to the small girl keeping her safe from anything else that came their way. She saw the blood on her back trickling to the ground.

"I'm …sorry…." Levina gasped.

"Shhh," Aqua soothed her smiling down at the small girl. "You tried your best." She looked up at Terra and Ven fighting against Xehanort and Vanitas.

Ven swung his Wayward keyblade at Xehanort, but the old Keyblade Master was too quick and he grabbed Ven from his head, holding the boy in a tight grip.

"Ven!" Terra yelled. He suddenly screamed in pain as he was tackled by keyblades from Vanitas.

Aqua looked up horrified. '_I can't leave Levina like this_.' She thought.

"Go to them!" Mickey's voice came from behind the female keyblade wielder. "I'll take care of your friend!"

Aqua nodded running over to help Ven. "Ven!" She shouted.

Levina hazily looked up seeing Ven squirming against Xehanort's grasp. "V-Ven…" She breathed out wanting to help him but she knew she couldn't.

Xehanort froze the struggling boy encasing him in ice which caused Ven's protective helmet to crack. Xehanort dropped the boy like a little rag doll, tumbling below into the ground. Aqua quickly dived over to the small boy catching him in her arms.

"Are you ok?" Aqua asked the small boy only to receive multiple groans from him.

Using the opportunity, Master Xehanort blanketed the Keyblade Graveyard in darkness, holding his keyblade into the air. A terrifying dark ball of light was formed into the sky. The clouds slowly parted ways as a small glimmer of light appeared in the sky. A heart shaped door way. This was Kingdom Hearts. The door to all worlds.

Seeing what was happening, Terra mounted his keyblade glider and flew towards Xehanort to confront him.

"Admirably done," Xehanort commended Terra. "I knew this was a journey you could make - over the unseen wall that divides darkness and light, and I was not wrong Terra!"

Terra hatefully glared at the old master in front of him. "You've hurt my friends long enough!" He yelled making his Earthshaker keyblade appear. "You tell me Xehanort!" He spat at him. "What did you do to them?! You stripped Ven of the darkness inside his heart! Why?!" He demanded.

"Why, I simply did him a favor and freed the darkness inside him." Xehanort casually replied. "Alas poor Ventus, he never had the fortitude for such strenuous trials.

This was all Terra needed to hear. He ran at the old man with his keyblade in hand. Xehanort easily blocked the younger boy's moves. He turned to Vanitas. "Go what Ventus owes you and kill Aqua and Levina."

Vanitas nodded leaping off the cliff. Terra tried to stop him, but Xehanort stood in his way.

* * *

Aqua tried to help Ven who could only stare up at the shining light of Kingdom Hearts. Ven desperately tried reaching for Levina, who just a few feet away from him even though he was frozen. He saw Mickey aiding to her bleeding back.

"Why don't you leave the popsicle with me? So you can have your fight with Terra." Both Aqua and Ven looked over seeing who it was. Braig smirked at them. There was something different about the guardsman from Radiant Garden. He had an eye patch over his left eye. His right eye was yellow, almost like Master Xehanort.

"You can't be too happy about him deep-sixing your Master," Braig taunted. "You kids think you have some grand role to play. As if. You're only here so that when I finish you off…Terra will succumb to the darkness," He greedily grinned. "So who wants to die first?" The guardsman made his arrow guns appear in his hands. "Maybe I should take care of that little girl over there," He said referring to Levina. "There's no way she'll put up a fight in the sorry state she's in."

Ven angrily glared at Braig through his frozen blue eyes. "S-Shut up!" He yelled.

"Oh, so this kiddo thinks he's a full-fledged keyblade wielder?" Braig teased. "He's got the angry look down. Almost like I drowned his goldfish." He taunted.

"Go ahead if you want to waste your time!" Aqua told him. "Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games! It'll never work!" She set Ven down gently making her Rainfall keyblade appear as she faced Braig. "Terra will prove to you he's stronger!"

"Aqua!" Ven called out to her as she charged at Braig with her keyblade. The frozen boy wanted to help his friends desperately.

"You look so pathetic." Vanitas sneered down at the boy in front him. He kicked Ven causing the boy to groan in pain. He looked over at Levina. "I'll be nice and put her out of her misery first." He said.

"N-No…!" Ven yelled wishing that he could move.

Vanitas shoved Mickey aside with his keyblade knocking the tiny mouse out. He leered down at Levina.

Levina could only stare at Vanitas weakly as she held her wayfinder tightly between her fingers. She gasped hoarsely trying to breathe and reach for her Starlight keyblade which just inches away from her.

Vanitas smirked down at her from his mask slowly lowering his Void Gear keyblade down on her.

"_NO_!" Ventus yelled getting unfrozen by the sheer determination of wanting to help his friends. The boy ran at Vanitas stabbing his Wayward Wind keyblade into Vanitas's armor. Ven caught his breath as he pulled his keyblade from Vanitas' armor.

"You've done it Ventus…" Vanitas said to him as his armor began to deteriorate; slowly Vanitas's mask melted away revealing a boy's face, a boy's face which resembled someone that would be responsible for saving everyone. "Now that my body is about to perish…you and I will have to join together!" He unleashed Flood Unversed at the boy before he could move holding him in place. "The X-blade will be forged!"

"The Unversed…!" Ven struggled. "Come from you…?!"

Vanitas simply nodded. "It happened when you and I were split into two. They are what I feel – a horde of fledgling emotions under my control. I released them in all the worlds that I could, hoping to lure you away from home and isolate you from your Master," He explained walking towards his lighter half smirking enjoying his struggling. "We needed to make you stronger. The Unversed were the perfect opponents. And better yet, no matter how many times you defeat them…their negativity flows back right back into me." He laughed wickedly. "You never stood a chance against us, Ventus!" He took another step forward merging with his weaker half.

* * *

Braig caught his breath as Aqua swung her keyblade at him. "I keep forgetting – don't mess with keyblade wielders," He gasped. "But you know what? That just means I made the right choice!" He grinned.

Aqua glared running at him again with her keyblade.

"Well… he wanted me to buy time," Braig smirked causing Aqua to stop in her tracks. "And I'd say he got it." He told the female keyblade wielder and ran off.

"What?" Aqua wondered what he was talking about.

Mickey regained consciousness. He quickly ran over to Levina. "_Curaga_!" The mouse yelled healing Levina's injury.

Levina got up from the ground. She looked around for her friends. "Where's Ven and Aqua?" She wondered. She smiled as she saw Aqua run over to her. "Where's Ven?"

"Over there!" Mickey pointed to Ven who was standing absent mindedly in the middle of the graveyard.

"Oh thank goodness!" Aqua sighed in relief.

"Ven!" Levina eagerly ran over to the boy. She hugged the boy, but got no response from him. "Ven? What's the matter are you alright?"

Aqua watched horrified as Ven reached out grabbing Levina's neck chocking her. "Ven!" She yelled. "Stop it!" She then noticed the keyblade he was holding. It was the forged X-blade.

Levina struggled sinking to her knees. She saw the dark look in Ven's eyes. They were a horrible yellow color. "V-Ven…please…!" She choked out.

Mickey saw Ven thrusting the X-blade at Aqua. The small king leaped in the air blocking him from hurting the female keyblade wielder.

"That's not Ven!" Mickey said.

Ven threw Levina to the side grinning maliciously. "Correct, I am not Ventus." Vanita's voice came out from Ven's mouth.

Levina gasped for air as she stood up. "What's wrong with him?" She asked worriedly.

"His heart has become a part of mine now!" Ven/Vanitas told them as he held the forged X-blade raising it in the air. "This X-blade will open a door – one that leads to all worlds! Then Keyblade-bearing warriors will flock here from each and every one of them, to battle for the light within Kingdom Hearts! And just like the legend says, the Keyblade War will begin!" He laughed psychotically.

"Shut up!" Aqua yelled.

"We're sick of your nonsense!" Levina spat. "Give Ven his heart back!"

* * *

While Aqua, Levina, and Mickey fought Vanitas's control over his body from the outside, inside Ventus's heart, the boy was fighting for control inside his heart.

"Our union was not finished," Vanitas taunted him holding the broke X-blade in his hand. "The X-blade shouldn't stay broken like this!" Pointing the broken X-blade at his weaker half he ordered, "Join me now, and we can complete the X-blade!"

Ven shook his head making his Wayward Wind keyblade appear in his hand. "I've got a better idea!" He told his darker half. "How about I destroy you both?!"

Hearing this Vanitas could only help but laugh. "The X-blade is made of your heart too, idiot. If you destroy it your heart will vanish forever."

Ven tightly held his keyblade in his hand. "Whatever it takes!" He declared. "Anything to save Levina, Terra, and Aqua!"

"Hmph," Vanitas sneered. "It's always about your friends, isn't it?"

"At least I have some!" Ven spat back at his darker half. "They've become a part of my heart, just like I've become a part of theirs!" He told off his darker half. "My friends are my power! And I'm theirs!"

* * *

Aqua, Levina, and Mickey continued to fight a controlled Ven. Still controlled by his darker half Ven swung the X-blade at them. Mickey and Levina went crashing to the ground, but Aqua remained standing. The female keyblade wielder was giving it everything she had to overpower her controlled friend.

Aqua held her blue wayfinder tightly. "Please give me strength…!" She begged it and charged at Ven. Aqua pushed back Ven's X-blade with all her might causing it to shatter.

"Oh no!" Mickey gasped. "It's gone all haywire!" The X-blade was opening doorways and worlds from everywhere.

Levina struggled to stand up as the power of the X-blade began engulfing everything in its path like a black hole. She felt Aqua grab her hand.

"We can't leave Ven!" Levina told her tightly holding onto Mickey. She saw Ven who was now free from Vanitas's control fly into the gaping hole the X-blade had created. "No!"

"I know we won't!" Aqua reassured her. Dragging Levina and Mickey with her, both female keyblade wielders grabbed onto Ven's hand away. All three conscious keyblade wielders used their keyblades to seal the doorway the X-blade had created and were engulfed in the powerful light the X-blade had created.

Ven could feel the strong light inside his heart. With his friends help he was able to destroy the X-blade and defeat his darker half. The X-blade shattered into twenty pieces. Ven smiled. '_Aqua….Terra…take care of her…_' He thought as he closed his eyes falling into a permanent comatose sleep.

* * *

Master Xehanort smirked as he watched Terra's futile attempts to fight him. "See how powerless you are to save your friends?" He taunted. "Savor that rage and despair! Let it empower you!"

Terra glared hatefully at the man in front of him. "You will pay, Xehanort!" He declared squeezing his fist. "Was my Master – no he was like a father to me, he was a father to all of us! Was Eraqus not enough for you?" The darkness inside of his heart began to surface slowly surrounding his body. "Leave my friends alone!"

"Yes, boy, that's it!" Xehanort said to him. "More! Let your whole heart blacken with anger!"

Terra couldn't bare it anymore. He had to unleash all the darkness that was trapped inside his heart. His hate for Xehanort consumed him. He struck the old man down with his Earthshaker keyblade before he could do a single thing to defend himself.

Xehanort sank to one knee keeping his balance stable with his keyblade. He panted for air. The old man felt like he was dying when suddenly the giant pillar of light which engulfed Ven, Levina, Aqua and King Mickey could be seen from where they were standing.

"There you see…!" Xehanort told Terra. "The X-blade has been forged!" He said eagerly.

"Ven! No!" Terra cried out as he saw the pillar of light.

Xehanort stood up holding his keyblade in front of his chest. "And now Terra," He declared. "It is time for the final union!" He said stabbing himself with his mighty weapon.

Terra turned around horrified as he saw the old master stab himself.

"At last, our moment is here," Xehanort said as he released the light from his heart from his body. "Out with the old and brittle vessel, and in with a younger, stronger new one!"

Terra couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. There were no words to describe this horrible act of nature.

"I swore I would survive…!" Xehanort declared whole heartedly as his body began fading away. "And be there to see what awaited beyond the Keyblade War!" The piece of light that was purged from the old man's body raced towards Terra. "And now it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!"

Terra instinctively tapped the armor on his shoulder to make his Keyblade Armor appear as Xehanort's light engulfed his body. Terra was no longer in control of his body. Slowly pieces of his armor fell and broke apart. A keyblade appeared in his hand, it was Xehanort's keyblade. His hair had turned silver, his skin darkened, and his eyes were no longer blue.

_"This heart belongs to darkness_," A much younger voice of Xehanort ushered out from Terra's mouth. _"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it – it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to darkness whence it came."  
_

* * *

**And it all goes down hill from here... **

**The Starlight keyblade that Levina has is a real keyblade. It's going to be introduced in Kingdom Hearts X/Chi, the online game that's supposed to be coming out soon! **

**Review **


	17. The Kingdom of Light Falls

**Thought you guys had to wait a while for the next chapter. Yeeeah my freaking muse... Lol it kept bugging me to write :D **

**Sooo I added the characters from Final Fantasy 4 into the fic :D **

* * *

Chapter 17 – The Kingdom of Light Falls

Xehanort was basking in the glow of Kingdom Hearts. Now in a new younger body, he was ready to take over all the worlds and blanket them in darkness. He had realized that the X-blade was destroyed. He would have to start from scratch to create a new X-blade. In order to do that he would have to manipulate the laws of time to his will. With his keyblade in hand, the arbiter of darkness began walking away.

The armor which Terra had left behind laid there. It was almost as if the armor had a mind of its own. Terra's last will and strength was in this armor. The armor had to reclaim its body. Slowly reaching for the Earthshaker keyblade, Terra's armor slowly got up from the ground.

Xehanort or Terranort he was now known had sensed the armor move. Swiftly Terranort turned around. On its knees struggling to stand, the armor slowly began to rise. "Your body submits your heart succumbs – so why does your mind resist?!" Terranort seethed gripping his keyblade tightly.

The armor responded by getting up holding the Earthshaker keyblade in its hand.

"Fool!" Terranort sneered. "What hope do you have in facing me now?!" He raised his keyblade. "You have lost!"

The armor charged at Terranort giving its all. However, Terranort mimicked the armor's movement, sending back every attack back at the armor. It was a battle of wits and strength to the end. The armor retaliated with the darkness that remained inside it when Xehanort's heart was transferred into Terra's body.

"Sink into darkness!" Terranort shouted casting beams of darkness at the armor.

The armor fell back as the beams of darkness pierced through the armor. The armor heaved back and forth like it was panting. '_You…will not…win…Xehanort…!_' What was left of Terra's mind thought and got up. The armor watched as Terranort retreated. Using all of its strength, the armor tapped into the darkness that was still dormant in Terra's body. It held the Earthshaker keyblade tightly between its fingers as a dark aura surrounded it.

Terranort turned feeling the presence of darkness and fell over as a beam of darkness struck him.

The armor held leaned over kneeling on the ground where his body laid and resting the Earthshaker keyblade in between its fingers. He would remain here until someone would have the strength and power to defeat Xehanort. Perhaps that little boy on the small island whom to which he passed down the power to? Yes, he and his friend, those two little boys would be the one to set things right and defeat Xehanort.

Terra thought of his friends. He would never see them again nor would he have the courage to have told Aqua how he really felt about her. '_Aqua…Ven…Levina…,_' Terra thought as the light from Kingdom Hearts engulfed him and Terranort. '_One day I will set this right_.'

* * *

Aqua opened her eyes slowly. She saw Levina lying beside her too on the floor of Yen Sid's room in the Mysterious Tower. "Where am I?" She thought out loud.

"Aqua you had lost consciousness," Yen Sid reassured the female keyblade wielder's worrying. "Fortunately Mickey found you, Levina, and Ventus drifting in the Lanes Between, and brought you back to me to receive proper care."

Levina winced as she got up. "Aqua!" She beamed at her. "You're ok!" The smaller girl then looked around. She saw Ven asleep against the wall, but there was no sign of Terra.

"Where is Terra?" Aqua asked disheartened.

Yen Sid bowed his head. "I am sorry," He told them. "But there was no sign of Terra."

"I see." Aqua replied lowering her head. '_Did the darkness take you, Terra?_' She thought clinging to her wayfinder.

Levina looked over at Ventus who was still asleep. The girl walked over to him and shook him. "Ven!" She cried out desperately. "Wake up!" She continued to shake the small boy, unfortunately he wouldn't wake.

"Please…!" Levina sniffed on the brink of tears. "Ventus! Wake up!"

"The boy's heart is sleeping." Yen Sid sadly told them as he watched Levina trying to wake the boy up.

"When will he wake?" Aqua asked.

"I could not say," Yen Sid answered bowing his head. "It is almost as though his heart has left. Should it return, he may very well wake. Should it not, then he may sleep like this for all eternity."

"_NO_!" Levina screamed. She tried to wake him up and began viciously shaking the boy. "You promised Ven!" She yelled. "You promised me everything would be alright!"

"Levina…" Aqua frowned gently touching her shoulder.

The small girl began sobbing and clung to Aqua. "I-It's not fair…!" Levina cried. "Why did all this happen to us?!" She whimpered.

Aqua sighed holding the smaller girl against her. "I don't know…" She said soothingly trying to calm her down. The older female keyblade wielder looked at Yen Sid determinedly and said, "We'll keep him safe – until he wakes!" She looked at the sleeping boy next to her. "Forever if we have to."

Hearing what Aqua was saying, Levina wiped her tears. "We won't let anything else happen to Ven…" She sniffed controlling herself.

"I will tell you what your friend needs right now," Yen Sid told them. "It is not your protection. He needs you to believe. Do not grieve over his loss. His heart sleeps in the place between light and darkness. From all I can perceive, that means he will be looking for a friend – one who believes in him, to show him the way home. Just as long as you love him…then Ventus will able to find you when he wakes. He can follow that love back to where he belongs – the realm of light."

Mickey nodded at Yen Sid's words and looked at his friends. "Don't you two worry," He smiled at them. "I believe in Ven too!" The small king said brightly. "Gosh, he's been as good a friend to me as anybody. And if the three of us believe in him with all our hearts… then he'll have three lights to follow instead of one."

Aqua smiled at Mickey's kind words. "Four lights," She told him. "Terra."

Mickey frowned lightly. "But…," The small king began. "Terra's gone. Maybe for good."

Levina bit her lip lowering her head.

Aqua shook her head. "No," She said to them smiling down at her wayfinder. "I think I know how to find him."

Levina looked up at her. "Really?" She asked.

Aqua nodded. "Come on," She told the small girl. "We have to keep Ven at a safe place so no one can ever find him."

Levina nodded picking Ven up placing the tiny boy on her back. "Where will we take him?" She asked.

"Home." Aqua replied.

Mickey watched his three friends leave. He saw the gummi ship arriving from the window.

"Fellas!" Mickey smiled at Donald and Goofy. "You made it!"

"Master Yen Sid!" Donald cried in distress. "It's horrible!"

"Radiant Garden!" Goofy panicked. "It's being swarmed by the Heartless!"

Yen Sid deeply sighed. "Xehanort had begun making his move." He thought out loud. He looked at the king, mage, and knight. "We must act quickly!" He then looked at Lira.

Lira remained sitting in the gummi ship with her arms crossed as Donald and Goofy got out. '_I need to find Zack._' She thought as Mickey, Donald and Goofy discussed their next tactic to stop Xehanort. She pushed a button on the control panel. The gummi ship slowly hovered and then blasted off like a blur.

Donald jumped turning around seeing the gummi ship fly off. "Lira!" He quacked.

"Gawrsh! Where did she go?!" Goofy wondered.

Mickey dismissively shook his head. "Don't ya worry fellas, I'm sure she'll be alright." He reassured them and hoped everything would turn out alright in the end.

* * *

Radiant Garden was under siege. Hoards of Heartless were attacking the city as darkness loomed over the kingdom of lights. Ansem the Wise watched in horror from the safe haven of his study as the monsters from the darkness lunged at the innocent civilians tearing the light from their hearts.

Ansem the Wise gritted his teeth as his brown eyes narrowed with fear. Quickly grabbing various books from his desk, he tore the pages from his journals. He would not allow the dark forces to steal his valuable work. The only way was to scatter the pages in various worlds hoping that people who fought for the light would find them. He rushed out into the hall searching for his apprentices.

"Where have they gone?" Ansem wondered. "Braig, Dilan, Aeleus, Ienzo, Even!" He called to them, but received no answer. '_I should've foreseen this_,' He thought. '_The moment I met Master Xehanort… that deceitful man… He must be the cause of my students disappearing!_''

"My liege!" A voice snapped the wise sage from his thoughts. Ansem the Wise looked up to see his most trusted knight. A paladin, wearing blue and white armor. "You should not be out here." He told his king with great concern in his blue eyes.

"Cecil…," Ansem began. "Where are my students?"

Cecil shook his head. "I have not seen them," The brave knight unsheathed his sword striking a Neo-Shadow heartless that was behind his king. "You need to get to safety," He instructed. "Kain, Rosa, and I will handle these creatures."

"Cecil! Come quickly!" A woman with light blonde hair styled as a half updo with long bangs that frame her face ran to him. She wore a large assortment of garments and accessories: on her shoulders small horned pauldrons worn over a floor-length white and gold cape, a sleeveless white top with long, decorated gloves and a large belt that holds a dagger on her side, gold and pink knee braces and light purple ankle boots.

The paladin turned around at the sound of the voice calling to him. "What is it Rosa?" He asked.

"These horrible creatures are not only in the castle, but outside as well," Rosa replied lightly clinging to her lover's hands. "Those creatures have taken the light within people's hearts!"

Cecil patted his wife's hand reassuringly. "We will stop this threat, Rosa," He told her. "Don't stress yourself. Our unborn child does not need that." He kissed her forehead tenderly.

Rosa nodded her head. "Of course," She said turning to the side seeing more heartless roaming the halls.

Cecil defensively held his sword tightly ready to take down the dark creatures that threatened his kingdom. The tiny Shadow heartless was suddenly skewered in half with a dragon-shaped lance.

"We cannot linger here any longer." A deep gruff voice said. Wearing full body armor colored dark purple and blue. He stepped towards his comrades pulling his the lance out from the tiny Shadow Heartless that lay on the ground dead. He wore a helmet the shape of a dragon's head that obscures most of his face and sharp spikes extend out of his armor on his shoulders, elbows and calves, to give it an even more draconian look. He has long blond hair, tied back in a ponytail.

"Kain!" Cecil exclaimed.

"We must hurry and assist the civilians." Kain told his long-time friend.

Cecil nodded in agreement. "Understood," He looked at Rosa. "Get to a safe place, Rosa."

"No Cecil," Rosa protested. "My magic can help heal the wounded. I will not sit here while you and Kain fight."

Kain casually leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as the married couple quarreled with each other. "Rosa is strong enough to deal with these dark creatures that are infesting our world."

"Alright," Cecil sighed in dismay realizing he would not be able to hear the end of it if Rosa did not come with them.

"I promise you," Rosa said to her husband. "I will be careful." She lovingly placed a kiss on Cecil's lips causing Kain to turn away.

"Let's go." Cecil said.

Ansem the Wise watched as his trusted knights and white mage left the castle. He looked down at the slain heartless. '_Such curious creatures…_' He thought. Plucking one of the dead Shadows off the ground, the king of Radiant Garden returned to his study and remained there.

* * *

"Grandma!" Kairi yelled in the Town Square. "Grandma! Where are you?!" She screamed at the top of her tiny lungs. The small girl pouted disappointed that she couldn't find her grandmother anywhere. She suddenly froze in fear as Heartless manifested around her. Slowly, she edged back as Darkballs advanced on her. The Darkball heartless were suddenly swatted away from the small girl.

"Don't you freaks know not to pick on a little girl!?" Lea spat at them.

The Darkballs that fell to the ground easily got back up.

"I don't think they find you intimidating." Isa said to his friend.

"Thanks for the input." Lea retorted rolling his green eyes. The red head pushed Kairi behind him as the Darkballs charged at the two teenage boys.

The Darkballs suddenly burst into flames. Lea held Kairi protectively while Isa stared at his friend. '_He's always looking out for other people and making friends wherever he goes,'_ He thought. '_He never has time for me anymore_.'

As the smoke cleared, the two teenage boys and little girl saw two children with staffs in their hands. They were siblings and about six years old. One was a girl wearing an orange and white striped costume, which was worn with a green cloak and orange boots. She has brown hair worn in a high ponytail. The other was a boy wearing a striped green and white costume, with an orange cloak and green boots. His hair too was also pulled into a little ponytail.

"That's how you defeat the Heartless!" The boy beamed with pride. He then looked over at Kairi who was clinging to Lea's pants.

"Y-You saved us…!" Kairi smiled at the two children graciously.

"Yup!" The boy beamed at her. "Are you alright?" He asked inching closer towards the little girl.

The boy was suddenly thwacked in the head by his sister. "Palom!" The girl scolded. "Stop that!"

Palom rubbed his head. "But Porom," The boy whined. "I just wanted make sure she was ok!"

Porom sighed at her brother's shenanigans. "We don't have time for you to be flirting with the girl!"

Kairi sniffled at the two brave children. "C-Can you help me find my Grandma?" She asked them. "I-I can't find her anywhere."

Palom sauntered over to the small girl taking her hand. "Don't worry," He smiled bravely at her. "We'll help you find your grandmother!"

Porom face palmed. "I suppose we could," She looked at Lea and Isa. "You two should get out of here, it's dangerous!"

"Hold on a sec," Lea replied. "Who are you two kids to tell us what to do?!"

"We're Ansem the Wise's mages, that's why!" Palom replied sticking his tongue out at Lea.

"But your just children!" Isa said flabbergasted.

"We're children who saved you!" Porom told him and helped her brother walk Kairi out of the Town Square and into town in search of her grandmother.

Lea smiled at the retreating children. "We can make a difference too, Isa," He told his friend. "Let's take down the Heartless and save the people!"

Isa watched as his friend sprinted off into town to help civilians against the Heartless attack. He sighed. '_Maybe one day you'll have time for me again, Lea_.' He thought trailing behind his friend disgusted by the fact that his best friend would instantly leave him for anyone that needed help. Lea was the kind of person who would bond with anyone.

* * *

Zack awoke with a groan. He had lost consciousness when he unsuspectingly threw himself into the darkness.

"Helloooo!" A voice called to him

"M-Mom…?" Zack groaned as his vision become clearer. He didn't see his mother, but it was a girl's face he saw. Her bright green eyes were looking down at him worriedly. She brushed her brown hair away from the frames of her face to get a closer look at the boy. Zack noted that the girl's styled into a braid down her back, with curls on either side of her face. She was wearing a carmine pink and white top held up by a string that wraps around her neck. Underneath this top, she wore a pink dress with a horizontal white stripe near the bottom with yet another dress underneath the first one, this dress being white and slightly longer than the first.

"Is this heaven…?" He groaned.

The girl smiled. "No silly," She told him. "You're in Radiant Garden."

Zack's blue eyes looked at the girl. "An angel…?"

The girl giggled and her cheeks flushed lightly. "No I'm Aerith." She said kindly.

Zack got up from the ground. He looked around seeing the Heartless attacking everything in sight. "I'm Zack." He said to her. "I need to repay you for waking me up." He beamed at her.

Aerith shook her head. "No that won't be necessary," She told him. "But if you really want to help, we need all the fighters we can get."

"So I see," Zack said dismissively looking around watching Ansem's knights fight off the Heartless threat. He smiled at her. "I'll be happy to help!" He boasted. "After all I am a hero in training!" He ran off with the girl to assist more civilians. '_This is really bad_,' He thought as he passed unconscious civilians who had lost the light from their hearts by the Heartless. '_I wonder if Lira is alright back at the coliseum.' _

Zack followed Aerith to the kingdom's Fountain Court. He saw another girl in a brown cowboy uniform, her white tank top showing off her midriff and shorts which only covered up to her thighs.

"Tifa!" Aerith called out to the girl.

The girl named Tifa looked over at Aerith. "You brought help!" She smiled at Zack. "We need all the help we can get here." She gasped as she saw somebody fall over from Invisible Heartless swinging its massive sword. "Cloud!" She cried and ran over to him.

The spiky blond groaned in silence as his friend ran over to her. He was wearing dark blue training garb to be guard at the castle of Radiant Garden.

"Are you alright?" Tifa asked him.

"I-I'm fine…" Cloud groaned getting up. He gasped holding his sword tight in his hands ready to attack the Invisible again.

"You might want to loosen up," Zack instructed the younger boy. "Don't be so stiff."

Cloud looked at Zack with disdain in his blue eyes. "What?" He asked.

"Like this," Zack said taking his sword from his back just holding the hilt of his sword loosely and ran at the Invisible. Like the wind, Zack charged at the Heartless and skewered it in half. "See? You have more movement in your body." He said twirling his sword in the air.

"I don't know who the heck you are!" A voice belonging to a young man who wore goggles on his head. He was chewing a toothpick in his mouth while holding a spear in his hand. He stared at Zack hard with his blue eyes. "But I'm glad you're here to help us!" He wore a white T-shirt with two buttons descending from the neck. His baggy pants are blue and have a very wide, orange waistband with thin, vertical stripes on it.

"Wow I'm in shock," Tifa said. "Cid gave somebody a compliment.

"Those dang Heartless better not go near by gummi garage!" Cid yelled outraged. The fighting civilians were suddenly surrounded by more Invisible Heartless.

* * *

Terranort ecstatically watched as the darkness took over the kingdom of Radiant Garden. Everything was falling to place. He watched as Ansem's warriors fought the darkness. There were even a few civilians who fought. These residents believed that they could make a difference by helping this fallen city.

"They cannot stop the inevitable." Terranort sneered.

There was a swordsman with a gun-shaped sword hacking away at the Heartless in town. It was a young boy, whose fierce blue eyes shined with determination. The boy's long brown hair made him look like a punk. He held his weapon clasped tightly around his gloved fingers. He wore a white undershirt along with a short sleeve dark blue jacket. With red wings on the back, which presumably belonged to a lost lover. He also wore three brown belts on his left forearm and has three buckles on his right thigh. He bears a distinctive scar which ran diagonally across from the bridge of his nose, probably from a heartless that attacked him.

"Squall!" A small girl cried out. The small girl ran to him, her short black hair swaying back and forth. She was wearing a metal headband with two green tassels along with a yellow scarf, a green tube top two blue belts holding it up with tan short-shorts and another loose blue belt around her waist with white socks that reach about mid-thigh, orange shoes, and mesh sleeves on her arms that disappear into orange fingerless gloves with black bands constricting the ends.

"That's Leon!" The boy named Squall growled in irritation. "What is it Yuffie?" He asked the small ninja.

"There are more Heartless near the Fountain Court!" Yuffie told him. "Cloud, Tifa, and Cid are having a real tough time beating them!"

"They just keep on coming," Leon groaned in dismay. "I'm not losing my home to bunch of Heartless!" He saw Cecil, Kain, and Rosa fighting off the Neo-Shadows and Darkballs, keeping them at bay for as long as they could. "Not even the king's bravest knights stand a chance against these dark creatures."

Terranort watched as the two ran towards the Fountain Court. Then something caught his eye. He saw Palom and Porom with Kairi searching for her grandmother. "That girl…," He said aloud. "The light within her…is so strong…" He made his keyblade appear. "She must be extinguished!"

"Where could she be?" Kairi sniffled.

"Don't worry I'm sure she's here." Palom affectionately patted the small girl's shoulder.

Porom lightly glared at her brother's antics. "Would you stop that?!" She yelled. "We're at war! Not for you to flirt with little girls!"

"I'm not flirting!" Palom told her sister. "I'm being nice –" The small boy froze. "There's something here…," He told his sister. "A horrible dark force!"

Hearing this Kairi trembled. "I want my Grandma!" She cried.

Porom glared at her brother. "Now you're scaring her!" She shouted.

"The child has every right to be afraid." Terranort lunged at the children.

Porom quickly casted a shield around Kairi keeping her safe from harm. She looked at her brother urgently. "CAST A SPELL!" She screamed.

Palom lightly trembled holding his staff in the air. "_Fire_!" He yelled spitting out fire balls from his staff.

Terranort just grinned casting the fireballs aside with his keyblade like they were nothing.

"CAST SOMETHING STRONGER!" Porom screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Uh..," Palom stammered and then looked at her sister. "We need to cast Meteor!" He told her.

"But that could kill us!" Porom exclaimed. "It'll take forever for our magic to be stronger enough!"

"We have to try!" Palom told her sister.

Kairi watched as the two siblings went into a sort of magical trance.

Terranort would not give them the chance to finish their spell. He charged forward with his keyblade and was suddenly knocked over to the ground. It was almost as if someone jumped and landed on him.

"Have you no honor!" Cecil shouted disgusted pointing his sword at Terranort. "Attacking children!?"

Terranort seethed with rage as he stood up. The dark fires in his heart burning even stronger now.

"There is no honor among those who walk the dark path." Kain told his friend in arms as he stood behind Terranort holding his lance.

The two siblings snapped from their magical trance and smiled.

"Cecil!" Porom cheered.

"You and Kain made it!" Palom beamed.

Cecil looked at the two children keeping his sword at Terranort's neck. "Get to safety." He told them.

The shield around Kairi disappeared as Porom and Palom grabbed the small girl's tiny hands and ran to the castle.

Terranort glared at the two knights blocking his way. "You will all tremble before me!" Using all the darkness that was inside his already blackened heart, he unleashed a creature like no one has ever seen before. A grey-black, muscular, humanoid body, standing at eight feet in height with a pair of long, crooked antennae coming out of the top of its head and four shorter ones coming out of the back of its head. The antennae on top of its head have wide bases and become narrower as they become longer and crooked. Its demonic head bares some resemblance to that of Master Xehanort. It has small, glowing yellow eyes, blue gums, and sharp teeth. Two bandages cross over the top of its head and wrap around its antennae while two more cross over its neck and upper back and two bandages cross over its chest with another two crossing over from its shoulders and attaching a fifth bandage wrapped to the base of its thick neck. It has a blue, heart-shaped hole in its lower torso just below its bandaged chest that is reminiscent of the heart shaped hole that appears in various Pureblood Heartless.

"Submit to my Guardian!" Terranort roared.

* * *

Lira tightly held onto the seat of the gummi ship. "How the heck do you stop this thing?!" She screamed as the gummi ship raced through the Lanes Between in light speed. She then saw a horrible fog of darkness covering the Lanes. "I'm going to die!" She yelled. "Donald's going to kill me!"

The gummi ship was engulfed in the darkness and crash landed on a pile of wood. Lira groaned rubbing her head "I-I'm alive…?" She moaned. The small girl got out of the gummi ship.

A young woman ran over to her. Lira looked at the woman with long green hair that touched down to her back wearing a green outfit with knee-high golden heeled boots and draperies adorned in stars.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked her. "I was training my summons and I saw your vessel crash! I'm Rydia!"

"Summons?" Lira repeated. She remembered the book she had found in the library while she was training with Donald and Goofy. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement "Y-You mean they are real!?"

Hearing this from the small child, Rydia laughed lightly. "Of course they are real!" She told the small girl. "You're in Feymarch, home to all Summons!" She smiled brightly at the young girl. She looked at Lira closely. "You know with enough training you'll be able to control the Summons just like me!"

Lira smiled at this. This would be the fighting chance they needed against the darkness. Lira followed Rydia to the leaders of the Feymarch, King Leviathan and Queen Asuna. Here she would remain for ten years and seek proper guidance from the Summoner she had just met.

* * *

Aqua and Levina returned to the Land of Departure. They saw their home engulfed in darkness. The smile on Ven's face never left as he slept.

"This is awful…" Levina said.

"I know." Aqua replied remembering how she had been given the right to become a Keyblade Master. She swore to Eraqus that Terra would be worthy enough to be one as well. Now everything she knew was falling apart.

The two female keyblade wielders saw Master Eraqus's keyblade lying on the ground. Levina gasped in shock at the sight of her father's keyblade.

Aqua walked over to it and picked it up off the ground. '_How did this end up so horribly?_' She thought tightly holding onto the keyblade. '_I have to find Terra!_''

"Aqua!" Levina screamed breaking the older female from her thoughts.

Aqua turned around looking at the small girl. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"T-There's someone here!" Levina shrieked as she put Ven down holding him against her lap.

"What?" Aqua blinked in confusion. A rush of darkness filled her gaze. She felt it too and tightly gripped her Master's keyblade.

In front of the two female keyblade wielders, they saw someone in a black coat standing in front of them. A black hood was covering their face.

"Who are you?!" Aqua demanded raising her keyblade.

The mysterious figure did not usher a sound. The mysterious figure outstretched his gloved hand in front of him summoning two ethereal blades in their hands and getting into a fighting stance. Almost as if they wanted to challenge Aqua. Whoever this was, they wanted to see what the Keyblade Master was capable of.

"Aqua…" Levina looked at her friend.

"Keep Ven safe, Levina!" Aqua ordered as she faced this new stranger.

Levina nodded holding Ven close to her as she saw Aqua lunge at the mysterious figure.

* * *

Terranort's Guardian made quick work of Cecil and Kain. It threw the brave knights like they were nothing but insignificant piles of trash.

"I've never encountered such a beast before…" Cecil groaned standing on knee with his sword against the ground.

"We cannot let this monster harm anyone!" Kain said as he caught his breath.

"Cecil!" Rosa ran to her lover's side. "Are you and Kain alright?"

"Rosa…," Cecil panted. "You shouldn't be here." He told her.

Porom and Palom looked back the fallen knights.

"We have to help them!" Porom said to her brother.

Palom looked at Kairi. "You need to get to a safe place alright?" He told her.

Kairi nodded her head still frightened of what was happening to her home. The tiny mages ran to assist their fallen knights.

Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Aerith, and Zack all arrived in the middle of the Town Square.

"So you're the one who's responsible for all these Heartless!" Leon glared holding his gun-blade.

Yuffie held her large 4-Point shuriken tightly in her hand. "You better get lost! Or you'll regret it!"

Tifa balled her fists. "Whoever you are!? Leave in peace now!"

"You have no place here." Cloud said unsheathing his sword.

"You've hurt innocent people!" Aerith shouted holding her staff tightly. "Don't you care at all at what you've done?!"

"He ain't gonna listen to your preaching!" Cid said holding his spear. "Scum like him don't care!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Zack gasped as he saw Terra under Master Xehanort's control. "Terra!" He yelled. "You did all this?!"

A dark chuckle escaped from Terranort's lips. "I am Terra no more..," He declared. "There is more yet to come," He told his former friend. "You will all be thrown into the deepest depths of darkness!" Raising his keyblade Terranort created a large gaping void which ripped through the already darkened skies. Dozens of Darkside Heartless appeared tearing apart everything in their wake. The fallen heroes who had desperately tried to save their home got swept away in the heavy winds of the dark void.

Ansem the Wise could hear their terrorizing screams as the dark void sucked all his loyal warriors who fought so hard for the kingdom. The wise sage balled his fists allowing darkness to enter his heart. He had never felt so helpless before. He needed to do something, but all his research on these creatures called Heartless would go to waste. He needed to find out more about the Heartless before he could act.

Kairi trembled in fear as she watched the heroes disappear into the dark void. She whimpered as she saw Terranort stalking towards her.

"P-Please..!" Kairi begged. "L-Leave me alone!" The tiny girl trembled as Terranort reached for her. She screamed in fright shutting her eyes tightly causing the charm on the necklace around her neck to glow brightly.

Terranort backed away covering his eyes with his hand because of the intensity of the bright light. Aqua's protection charm on the small girl was finally active. The little girl was whisked away from the darkness to save haven, hopefully where she would a friend that would keep her safe.

Despite this small set back of the tiny girl escaping his grasp, Terranort was pleased. Radiant Garden, known as the city of lights had fallen into the darkness.

* * *

Aqua panted as she caught her breath and fell to her knees as she finally fought of the Mysterious Figure that challenged her. The Mysterious figure stared at the Keyblade Master through their hood and then disappeared.

"Aqua!" Levina yelled running over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…," Aqua breathed out catching her breath. "I think whoever that was is gone now…" She gasped. '_That power…,_' Aqua thought. '_He was using the laws of time to his will..._' She shrugged the thoughts aside and stood up with Levina's help. "Let's get Ven inside."

Levina nodded and ran back to her sleeping friend. She picked him up and walking alongside with Aqua up the steps to their ruined home. "Do you think Terra's out there?" She asked.

Aqua tightly held her blue wayfinder. "Yes…," She answered. "I believe it with all my heart."

* * *

Once inside, Levina sat Ven on the seat in the grand hall where the four friends had their Mark of Mastery exam. Despite the stain glass window being broken, they could still see the night sky.

Levina lightly smiled at Ven. "You'll like it here Ven," She told him sweetly. "You'll get to hear meteor showers every time."

Aqua looked at Master Eraqus's keyblade. "There's one more thing that needs to be done." The female Keyblade Master walked behind the seat where Ven was sitting. A keyhole appeared behind it.

"What are you doing Aqua?" Levina asked curiously.

"Sealing this world," Aqua said to her. "Your Dad wanted to make sure if dark forces ever close enough to this world, there would be a way to seal it so that the darkness can never ever come here again." She raised the keyblade towards the keyhole and a bright light shined through the Land of Departure transforming it into a castle that would take away a person's memory if they tried to uncover its secrets. The Land of Departure was now known as Castle Oblivion.

"Ven will be safe here." Aqua said. She affectionately ran her fingers through the sleeping boy's spikey hair. "I know this is a lonely place," She told him. "But I'll be back with Terra to wake you up, I promise. In the meantime Levina's here with you."

Hearing this Levina looked at Aqua in distress. "What?!" She exclaimed. "You don't want me to go with you to find Terra?!"

"It's better if you stay here with Ven," Aqua replied. "Promise me you won't leave his side, Levina." She said sternly.

Levina lowered her brown eyes to the now white floor. "But…," She protested and then sighed. "Alright…," She said looked at Aqua. "I promise I won't leave him."

Aqua hugged the tiny girl. "I'll be back with Terra before you know it." She smiled and left the room.

Levina sighed in defeat looking at her sleeping friend. She softly placed a kiss on his lips. She smiled lightly thinking that boy was actually smiling in his sleep.

Aqua held her wayfinder in her hand looking down on it once she was outside. "Terra…," She pleaded. "Tell me where to find you…"

* * *

**Everything's going to hell... **

**So what did you all think of all the awesome Final Fantasy cameos :D Maybe I'll have Golbez or Zeromus in the fic, but that won't be till much later :D **

**Review :) **


	18. The Last Shining Light

**ALL THE FEELS :D GUYS THIS THE LAST CHAPTER TO UNBREAKABLE CONNECTION!**

**Can you handle the epicness? **

**There is definitely going to be a sequel! **

* * *

Chapter 18 – The Last Shining Light

Aqua held onto her wayfinder tightly as she roamed the Lanes Between. '_Terra…,_' she thought worriedly. _'Where are you?_'' She wondered as she passed most of the various worlds which were shrouded in darkness. She looked down at her wayfinder. "Please... Tell me where to find him?" She begged.

It was as if the tiny magical trinket had heard her plea. The shine from her blue wayfinder began to glow leading the female Keyblade Master to Radiant Garden. She disembarked her glider and saw the kingdom of light in eternal darkness. She gasped horrified seeing homes destroyed and most of the townspeople on the ground unconscious. They lost their hearts to the vicious Heartless that attacked them. She saw somebody standing in the center of the Towns Square. She smiled in relief as she saw Terra. She ran over to her friend and her heart raced. She was so happy that he was alright.

"Terra!" Aqua said happily as she ran to him.

Terranort was basking in the darkness ignoring her call to him. He stared at her blankly.

Aqua noticed that her friend, whom she had grown to love, looked completely different now. "Terra? What happened to you?" She asked as she reached out to him. She gently brushed her fingers against his cheek causing Terranort to fidget. Aqua noticed him fidget and frowned. "Terra…," She said to him softly. "It's alright…" She told him looking into the yellow eyes that resembled Xehanort with her crystal clear blue eyes. She pressed her lips against him and for a moment she felt him kiss back.

For a moment it was as though Terra was fighting off Xehanort's hold over his body as he continued to kiss Aqua. Their lips parted as Terranort's hand traced the female keyblade wielder's neck.

"Terra," Aqua smiled at him. "I was so worried that you might've lost yourself to the darkness…" She suddenly gasped as she felt Terranort's hand squeezing her neck. He lifted her up off the ground continuing to strangle her.

Aqua struggled against his grasp as she sensed the horrible darkness emanating from her friend's body.

"Who…am I?" Terranort asked her as Xehanort's hold over him became stronger.

"Such…a terrible…darkness!" Aqua gasped as she struggled to break free. "Terra!" She pleaded. "Fight it! Please!"

"Terra…you say?" Terranort replied in a monotone voice and then dropped her.

Aqua gasped for breath as she held her neck looking up at her friend. She saw that he was holding his head in agony like he was completely unsure of whom he was now.

"Terra…" Aqua frowned.

Terranort removed his hands from his face smirking maliciously. "Terra's heart has been extinguished – smothered by the darkness within him!" He made Xehanort's keyblade appear in his hand and swung it down at Aqua.

Aqua glared lightly summersaulting out of the way. She held her hand out in front of her summoning her Rainfall keyblade. "My name is Master Aqua," She declared to her former friend. "Now return my friend's heart or pay the price!"

Terranort just grinned swinging his keyblade at her. Aqua blocked Terranort's moves with perfect precision. She knew with all her heart that her friend was still in there. She would fight Xehanort in hopes that she could set her friend free.

Terranort laughed at Aqua's attempts to strike him down. "The darkness will swallow you!" He unleashed beams of darkness from his keyblade. Aqua quickly used her magical shield to protect her from the deadly projectiles of darkness.

"I won't lose him to the darkness!" Aqua yelled and cartwheeled out of the way as Terranort became more aggressive with his keyblade swings. He started to use some of Terra's attack on Aqua, such as casting Meteor on her.

Aqua swung her Rainfall keyblade at the ginormous rock that would fall on her neatly cutting it in half. She caught her breath and ran at Terranort striking him down.

Terranort lay on the ground laughing maliciously.

"Don't think you've won just yet." Terranort sneered. With all the darkness that he kept inside his heart he unleashed his Guardian.

Aqua looked horrified at the dark creature in front of her. She tightly held her keyblade in her hand. She would defeat this creature too in order to save her friend.

The Guardian sunk to the ground with an attempt to surprise the female keyblade wielder. Aqua cartwheeled out of the way as she saw pillars of darkness rising from the ground. She swung her keyblade at the guardian furiously as Terranort just watched with a vicious smug look on his face.

"I can't…," Aqua gasped as she realized that fatigue was finally getting to her. "I can't do this alone…!" She looked at Terranort pleadingly. "Terra! Please, help me fight this monster!"

Terranort struggled with himself. There was still a light lingering inside his heart that Xehanort hadn't gotten to yet and it was radiating from Aqua.

"A-Aqua…!" Terra's voice called to her. He made his Earthshaker keyblade appear and charged at the Guardian. Together the two friends raised their keyblade in the air casting a shining light at the Guardian. The Guardian howled in pain at the light and faded back into Terranort's body.

Aqua caught her breath as she looked at her friend. "You helped me…" She said to him.

Terranort reached out to the female keyblade wielder, but suddenly felt Xehanort's heart take hold of him causing Terra's Earthshaker keyblade to disappear forever.

"Terra…" Aqua frowned as she got up.

Terranort struggled with himself as he felt his hand tightly holding Xehanort's keyblade, slowly moving it towards his chest. "Stop fighting back!" He yelled at the body he was in control of. Raising Xehanort's keyblade high above his chest.

"Terra, I know you're in there!" Aqua shouted to him as she watched Terra fight for control.

"T-This'll teach you…!" He yelled aiming his keyblade at his heart. "Get out of my heart!"

"TERRA!" Aqua screamed horrified as she saw Terranort stab himself with the keyblade, releasing his heart and the last bit of light that fought Xehanort's control. Terranort looked at Aqua with weak eyes as he fell backward sinking into a dark abyss that opened up below him.

Aqua made her keyblade disappear quickly diving after him in the darkness.

The female Keyblade Master raced after Terranort in the darkness in her armor and keyblade glider. She watched as Terra sank deeper and deeper into the darkness. "The darkness can't have you!" She called out to him grabbing his hand. She pulled him onto her glider looking up at the shining light which led back to the outside world. '_I have to do something.._,' she thought. '_Or we'll both be lost!_'' Aqua disembarked from her glider relinquishing her armor to make sure that Terra wouldn't fall over. She handed her Rainfall keyblade over to him.

"I'm with you…" Aqua said to the unconscious Terranort. "Go!" She used her magic to float the glider up to the closing gap of light. She smiled as Terranort reached the light as it closed.

'_Ven, I'm sorry…,_' Aqua thought as she sank into the darkness. '_I might not make it back as soon as I thought. Levina, please be safe_.' The Keyblade Master sank into the abyss and into the Realm of Darkness. She would remain there forever and keep fighting the darkness that willed her to remain trap there.

* * *

On Destiny Islands, Sora and Riku were looking up at the stars in the night sky. They smiled at the tiny twinkling lights. There weren't that many stars, but it was still worth it to see a few.

"Hey, I'm gonna head back." Riku said to his friend.

Sora mimicked Riku and got up from the ground. Sora happily walked back to his home.

"Sora?" Riku asked the small boy. "Are you alright?"

Sora stopped and looked at his friend. "Yeah…," He replied and felt a tear slide down his cheek. He touched his wet cheek in confusion. "That's weird…," The small boy said. "It's like, something's squeezing me inside."

"Somebody up there must be sad." Riku told him.

"Up where?" Sora asked curiously.

Riku pointed to the stars in the night sky. "They say every world is connected by one great big sky," He explained to his naïve friend. "So maybe there's somebody up there in all those worlds who's really hurting, and they're waiting for you to help them."

"Well gee," Sora frowned a little. "Do you think there's something I could do?"

Riku crossed his arms thinking for a moment. "Maybe they just need you to open your heart and listen." He told him.

Hearing this Sora folded his arms at the back of his head. "I dunno, Riku," Sora replied. "You say some pretty weird stuff sometimes!" He then smiled. "But I'll try it!" He said eagerly and closed his eyes.

* * *

The dark clouds had parted away from Radiant Garden. There was so much to do in order to fix this world from the damage the Heartless has caused. Braig had insisted that Ansem the Wise to leave his studies about the heartless and the heart to come to the Town Square.

"Right, this way." Braig led the wise king and Dilan to the Town Square.

Ansem the Wise saw an unconscious Terranort in the middle of square. He shook Terranort. "Young man, what ails you?" He asked in concern.

Terranort groaned in reply to Ansem's words.

"Can you speak?" Ansem asked. "What is your name?"

"Xeha…nort…" Terranort replied weakly before losing consciousness again.

"Xehanort…" Ansem repeated. '_Is this the same man that plagued my world's destruction?_' He thought. _'He seems much different than before_.'

Braig smirked seeing that this was Xehanort, in a new younger form.

"Quicky, get him to the castle!" Ansem urged.

Braig nodded picking up Terranort off the ground. He looked at Dilan. "Dilan, get those for me." He ushered the guardsman to pick up Aqua's armor and keyblade as the men returned to the castle. Terranort would regain his strength in time and sink this world into darkness once more and use it as a base for the Heartless.

* * *

"We have to find Lira!" Donald exclaimed to the king.

"Gawrsh, Donald she could be anywhere!" Goofy told his friend.

Yen Sid looked out the window deep in thought trying to pin point her location. "Fear not," The wise mage told them. "Lira is safe," He said. "She is receiving training from one of Ansem's most esteemed summoners."

"Summoner?!" Donald quacked. "You mean summons exist?!"

Yen Sid nodded. "They are known as Eidolon in the land of Feymarch."

"Well, gosh all we have to do is get Lira back here," Mickey stopped speaking as Yen Sid looked at the small king sternly.

Donald and Goofy nervously looked at Mickey.

Mickey let out a disappointed sigh and frowned as he walked over to Yen Sid's desk. He relinquished the Star Shard, which he had stolen wanting to help his friends out. The small mouse held his hand out making his Star Seeker keyblade appear in his hand.

Yen Sid watched Mickey's face sadden as he let go of the mighty weapon.

Mickey looked at Donald and Goofy. "You fellas go on ahead and find her." He said sadly and began walking out the door.

Donald and Goofy frowned in dismay.

"Mickey, wait…" Yen Sid called to the tiny mouse. The wise mage held Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade in his hand. "You have shown fair judgment even though you abandoned your exam," He told him. "You're heart led you to the right path. You are worthy of being a Keyblade Master." He handed the tiny king back his Star Seeker keyblade.

Mickey smiled brightly holding his keyblade in his hand. He looked at his friends. "What do you say fellas! Let's go find Lira and the rest of our friends!"

Donald and Goofy nodded retreating Yen Sid's Tower.

"Good luck my friend," Yen Sid said and then gazed out the window. He had sensed everything that was happening from the moment Aqua and Levina had left his Tower. "The darkness may have won for now, but there are still the light inside people's hearts that will continue to fight the darkness."

* * *

Levina remained in the Chamber of Awakening with Ven. She shuddered for a moment looking down at her wayfinder. _'Something's wrong._' She thought and looked at Ven who was still asleep. She bit her lip remembering that Aqua had ordered her to stay behind. "I can't stay here…" She said to the sleeping Ven. "Aqua needs me, Ven!" She told him and sighed wishing he could talk to her. "You wouldn't want me to stay here while Aqua's in trouble, right?"

Ven just slept as he heard Levina speak to him.

The small girl touched his face with her hand gently brushing her fingers against his hair. "I promise you," She said to him. "I'll be back before you know it with Aqua and Terra." She gave him a light kiss and left the chamber.

Ventus continued to sleep as he clutched his green wayfinder in his hand which was glowing softly.

She looked around the empty hollow white halls. Her home didn't feel like home at all. Nothing seemed familiar to her. "Everything's completely different." She thought out loud tightly holding onto her yellow wayfinder. "But I've got to try and find a way out of here," She said to herself. "For my friends…"

Levina walked the narrow path leading her up the steps, going through several doors, but she would find nothing. No trace of an exit. The girl held her head as memories of her friends, family, and the adventure she had with them left her mind.

"W-What am I doing here…?" Levina asked herself. "I need to find a way out…."

The girl kept on walking the long corridors. She could hear faint voices, none of which sounded familiar to her.

"I-I don't want to be here…!" She cried in distress and looked at her yellow wayfinder. "A star?" She held her head in pain as she tightly held onto her wayfinder. The wayfinder began to glow lightly easing the pain from her head.

"V-Ven…," She breathed out. "Terra…, Aqua…" She recalled her friends. "Where are you?" She wondered as she kept proceeding through Castle Oblivion. The more she advanced through the castle, the more her memories were erased from her mind. Soon enough she wouldn't be able to remember anyone close to her heart. She would not be able to summon her keyblade because of the memories she had lost.

Levina felt completely lost. She gasped for air as she stood between the last door she had entered and another door in front of her. The small girl let out a scream as the pain in her head throbbed more and more. The pain did not stop, it just continued to get to stronger. She screamed in agony holding her head before collapsing to the ground losing consciousness.

* * *

Sora's heart led him to the Chamber of Awakening in Castle Oblivion, where Ven slept. Inside his tiny heart, the small boy saw a sea of light passing him by, until he saw a small light moving towards him.

"Hey," Sora called out to the small light. "Can you hear me?"

"I heard your voice," Ven's voice spoke from the shining light. "It cut through the darkness around me."

Sora smiled at the shimmering light as it floated in front of him. The tiny boy reached out his hands to touch the light.

"All alone, I followed the sound, into a sea of light…," Ven told him. "And found myself here, with you."

Sora nodded hearing the small tingle of happiness in Ven's voice.

"You gave me something back when I needed it most," Ven said to him. "A second chance."

"I did?" Sora asked curiously.

"But…," Ven began. "Now I have to go back to sleep again." The voice almost sounded sad.

"Are you sad?" The small boy asked.

"A little," Ven told him. "There's so many people counting on me…There's also someone really important to me that I want to see again." The small ball of light floated between Sora's tiny fingers. "Would you mind if I stayed here, with you?" Ven asked.

Sora smiled brightly at the ball of light. "Sure," He answered. "If it'll make you feel better."

"Thank you." Ven said and the ball of light floated into Sora's heart. Ven's fractured heart which he had from the beginning when he lost his dark essence forming Vanitas was finally whole again. He had hoped he would see his friends again with the help of this little boy.

* * *

Riku looked at his friend curiously. "Did it work?" He asked.

Sora let out a breath of air. "Ya know…I think it worked." He said happily.

The two boys happily looked up at the sky at the shining stars once more.

"What's that?" Riku pondered as he saw something floating in the water.

Sora looked over. The tiny boy almost jumped as he saw a little girl who was somehow staying afloat in the water without any sort of floatation device.

The little boys raced over to the small girl and helped her to shore.

Kairi opened her blue eyes gazing at the two boys in front of her.

"Are you ok?" Riku asked in concern.

"I-I think so..," Kairi answered sitting up.

"Take it easy," Sora told her as helped her up. "How did you end up here?"

Kairi shook her head. "I don't know…," She told the small boy.

Riku watched as Sora whole heartedly asked Kairi questions. The small girl laughed at Sora's antics which caused Riku to frown.

"C'mon," Riku told them. "We'll take you to the mayor, I'm sure he can help you."

Kairi smiled at the two boys. "You would really do that for me?" She asked as her eyes sparkled in the night light.

"Of course!" Sora beamed at her. "I'm Sora!" The tiny boy puffed his chest out with pride. "That's Riku!"

Kairi giggled. "I'm Kairi, it's nice to meet you." She smiled up at the stars. "Wow," She cooed. "They're all so pretty!" She said happily as she saw five stars in the sky shining brighter than all the other stars.

"We can bring you here again!" Sora said happily and looked at Riku. "Now we've got another friend to play with!"

Riku smiled a little. "Yeah." He told his friend.

Kairi smiled at them. "Maybe when we're older, we can build a raft and find my home!"

"That sounds like a great adventure!" Sora said anxiously.

"And see the outside world too!" Riku added just as anxious as Sora.

The three of them walked off together hand in hand, laughing and getting to know each other better. In time, the worlds would be saved by these three heroes who stood beneath the same blaze of stars.

* * *

**That's it everyone, the last chapter to this story. But don't think I'm done with this story! It will take place during 358/2 Days! Find out what happens to everyone in Connected Between Hearts!**

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers who have stuck by me with this fic! **

**Until I write the sequel guys, review! **


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